How Destiny Turns
by TheElderOne
Summary: Destiny often has unpredictable twists and turns, but no path is so intricate as Naruto Uzumaki's. Dead Last to master, no-name to legend, many events change the boy, some for the better, some for the worse. What will happen next, no one knows, and the results are just beginning to unfold.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this was more idea I've had for a while. What if, by some certain circumstances, Naruto made it on Team 9? Review about the idea and the setup. If I leave something out or mess up, well, whoops, I'll fix it. Jutsu will be in English, 'cept for a few like Chidori and Rasengan. Naruto will be smarter and stronger, but not godlike or anything like that. There will be Naruto humor though, or at least I'll try to be funny. Here's the beloved disclaimer: ME NO OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

**_Chapter One_**

**_Naruto_**

"Try the Clone Jutsu, Naruto," said a man with a scar running the bridge of his nose. A blue-eyed, blonde-haired child of about ten looked up and grinned. He had already successfully performed the Transformation and Substitution Jutsu, but here came the real challenge, but he still had to face it like with any challenge. The other two monitors gazed at him coldly, like many of the villagers, for a reason Naruto did not know. Iruka was the only looking at him with a kind of hope.

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!" He formed his hands into the right handsign, and focused chakra into the jutsu. '_C'mon, this has to work!' _He gave a shout, and the air around him swirled as chakra, invisible to the naked eye, circled him. There was a loud _poof _and a large puff of smoke, large enough to blanket the entire room. The monitors coughed as the smoke cleared and looked over to the blonde standing next to…several poor excuses for clones. An immediate fail, even with the lenient Iruka.

Naruto knew this, and sighed as his 'clones' puffed out of existence. '_Well damn, but this is my first Genin Exam, maybe I'll get it right next time. But, still, all that training for nothing,'_ he thought forlornly, looking back at the monitors. Iruka smiled sadly at the blonde, and the monitors shook their heads. Naruto read their expressions, which told him their thoughts: You're wasting our time, get out.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, we can't pass you with you being able to perform the three Academy jutsu. You…fail," said Iruka, trying to smile reassuringly at Naruto, who wouldn't meet his eyes. The blonde nodded, and slowly walked out of the room. He ignored the teasings of other students as he exited the Academy and headed to his apartment. About halfway there, he came to a small park with a bench on the edge. He sat down in it, sighing.

"Why does nothing go right in my life?" he murmured to himself, looking over at a couple with a boy about his age. The child was laughing happily, being chased by his father across the park. The mother looked on, giggling at the pair. This joyful atmosphere lasted until the parents caught sight of Naruto; they whispered to the child, and sent cold glares at him. They hurried the boy away, and the familiar barb of sadness and loneliness was once again felt by the blonde. '_What did I do? What do they hate me for?' _Similar thoughts crossed his mind as he sat there, looking at the ground.

He shook his head after a while; he needed to prank someone to get his mind off things. Naruto smiled slightly as he thought of the possibilities. Hmm, would he paint the sides of buildings? Release the dogs from the pound? Throw water balloons? As he sat there, thinking, a small dog wearing a vest with a seal resembling a frowning face ran by, carrying something orange in its mouth. Naruto was broke from his thoughts as the dog seemed to _mumble _though its load.

"Damn Kakashi. Always forgets this thing. I really need to bite his ankle someday…" the mumbling faded away as the dog began to get farther away. Naruto frowned, and then grinned. This could be entertaining. He raced after the dog, who was heading toward one of the training fields. He kept a discreet distance, or so he thought.

The dog finally stopped at a training field with a large stone set in the front of it. Naruto had seen the stone on several occasions, but had never really thought about the reason it was there. He decided to hide in one of the several trees surrounding the small clearing as the dog approached a man standing directly in front of the stone. The man wore a mask and had gravity-defying, white hair.

The dog spat out the item, which turned out to be a book, as if it were poison. "There you go, Kakashi. There's that damned book you wanted," muttered the dog gruffly before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Naruto's eyes widened at this; it meant that it was a summon, or at least he thought so. He couldn't really remember the lesson.

The man's eyes seemed to turn into upturned U's as he picked up the book, though if Naruto was reading him right…there was something behind it. Something painful…what was it? As the blonde crossed his arms and thought about it, the man, who Naruto guessed to be Kakashi because of the dog, opened the book and started to giggle strangely as he read. The giggling broke Naruto's concentration, and he glared in the direction of Kakashi.

"Why the hell can't he shut up?" he whispered irately and Kakashi easily heard it with his attuned senses. The man made an unfamiliar handsign, and a perfect replica of himself puffed into existence right next to him. Naruto felt a surge of envy. '_DAMMIT! How can everyone do the Clone Jutsu but me!?' _The clone seemed to be annoyed about something to Naruto, and the original shook it off and nodded in the blonde's direction. '_Huh..wait…OH, SHI-!' _The clone vanished and reappeared right behind Naruto.

"Hello there. Don't remember inviting a brat like you," drawled the clone lazily. Naruto's eyes bugged, and he struggled as the clone grabbed him by the waist and disappeared. As they reappeared in center of the village, the clone dropped the blonde unceremoniously to the ground, and Naruto stood shakily. Whatever that guy had done had left him dizzy, and Naruto soon fell back on his rear. The clone eye-smiled at him and made the same sign the original had to create it. It disappeared, and left Naruto still dizzy and very annoyed. He got back up, stumbling slightly, and frowned at the spot that the clone had been.

'_That was a strange jutsu. It was like the Clone Jutsu, but in that jutsu the clone is fake, a genjutsu, or something like that. This was solid since it picked me up.' _He gazed up at the sky. _ 'It had a shadow too. Normal clones don't have 'em. Hmm ,it also has a chakra network or something since it used that transportation jutsu…hmm…sounds like it needs a lot of chakra…but I might as well try it. Nothing tried, nothing gained. Just need to go the library under a transformation. An adult shinobi should do,' _he deduced. Naruto wasn't dumb; in fact, he was probably one of the smartest in his class, but he didn't care what the square root of 144 was since it wouldn't help him in the real world. His specialty was the practical side of the shinobi world.

Naruto walked toward the library, trying to remember the handsign to the jutsu. The man had paired the index and middle finger on each hand, and had crossed them at right angles. Naruto copied the handsign from memory, and sighed. He needed confirmation from the library.

A block from the said building, he ducked into an alley and transformed into a shinobi he had seen walking around, a sickly man with a bad cough. He walked in the library, and went up to the desk, the change in height unsettling him slightly. The librarian smiled at him, or rather the man, who coughed. "Yes, Hayate-san? Need something?"

"Yes. *Cough* I need to learn a new jutsu. It's a another form of *Cough* the Clone Jutsu *Cough*, but they're solid. A friend of mine told me the name, *Cough* but I forgot it. Can you help me?" The librarian nodded.

"What you're looking for is the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I'm not surprised you're looking for it, since you know kenjutsu as well. But I'm afraid that it's a forbidden jutsu, a kinjutsu. You have to get permission from the Hokage to view it in the Forbidden Scroll," she replied. Naruto, as Hayate, looked crestfallen, and the librarian looked around furtively before she leaned in and murmured, "I keep an illegal copy of the scroll though, and I'll give the jutsu to you…for a little something." She grinned seductively, and Naruto instantly knew she meant a kiss.

'_Eh, why not. I doubt this guy has a girlfriend anyway,' _he thought, and he leaned in and kissed the lady on the lips. The lady swayed for a minute, and one of the shinobi in the library, a black-haired, red-eyed woman caught sight of this. '_WHAT? Hayate is cheating on Yugao? I've got to tell Anko!' _She exited the building calmly, but then raced off to find her friend.

"Can I get the scroll now? *Cough*" asked Naruto/Hayate, grinning smoothly, not knowing that he had just condemned the man to an almost-certain death, but knowing he had to smile. He had seen other guys do that with women after they kissed them anyway. The lady smiled dreamily at him, and Naruto felt a delayed wave of rage at how the lady treated this man and how she would have treated him, a child because of some stupid reason. Of course, the man was older, but being kind to children should some sort of rule! Naruto was surprised he hadn't felt the anger when he had first entered, but now…it came back in full force.

He kept the grin plastered on his face, however, as the woman answered slowly, "Certainly, Hayate-kun." Naruto fought the urge to deck her, and restrained it as she reached under her desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out two scrolls, opened both, and scribbled something down on one. She handed the one she had wrote in to Naruto/Hayate, her hand grazing his intentionally. "You can keep that." Naruto nodded, and grinned at the lady.

"Thank you, beautiful," he said, the acting coming naturally to him. The lady blushed, and Naruto kept the fake grin on until he ducked into an alley and took off the transformation. He wiped his mouth quickly, spitting. '_That was…disgusting,'_ he looked at the scroll in his hand, '_But it was worth it if this helps me pass the Genin Exam.'_

* * *

**_Lee_**

A boy with shaggy black hair and round eyes with extremely large eyebrows above them slammed his bloody fist against the log he had been punching and kicking for the past four hours. He was panting and counting each punch. "One thousand, two hundred and one! One thousand, two hundred and two! One thousand, two hundred and three!" He faltered, and he fell back. He looked at the log, and rose slowly due to exhaustion the strenuous training he went through everyday. "If I cannot do two thousand punches, then I will do two thousand kicks!" He started again, now kicking the log repetitively. "Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two!"

As he counted, the boy was reminded of the bullying he received at the hands of the other students of the Academy. They called him names, shoved him, and did everything they possibly could to make his life miserable. Even the teachers told him to give up, that he would never make to be a shinobi. As he counted, tears started to flow. It wasn't his fault he couldn't mold chakra! Maybe, just maybe, he could make it on just taijutsu. The tears hit the ground, along with some drops of blood. He would train, train until the day he died, no matter the conditions.

He shouted and kicked at the log with all his strength, or what was left of it. The kick knocked him off balance, and he tumbled to the ground. He lay there, staring up at the log. The bullying came to forefront again, and he curled up into a ball, crying pitfully. "Maybe they are right. Maybe I am some hopeless reject. Maybe I will-will never-" He choked.

Unknown to him, a man wearing a green jumpsuit and the same large eyebrows was watching from a distance. The man had seen the boy at the Academy whenever he and Kakashi had stopped by. Kakashi had said that this particular boy couldn't mold chakra, and the man had felt sympathy for the boy. He himself was lousy at ninjutsu, but he didn't have it as bad as the boy. He had accidentally disrupted the boy's lesson before, and was awed by his fierce determination. Now his brow was furrowed as he heard the boy moan and whine softly, that will slowly draining from him.

He jumped over to the boy was laying, and put his hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, now, show them they're wrong! You've got to stick with it!" he encouraged, squeezing his shoulder. The boy shrugged him off.

"But they are right. I will never be a shinobi. I cannot even mold chakra!" argued the boy pessimistically, curling further into a ball.

The man frowned, and replied, "Then prove them wrong. Become a special shinobi, one that only uses taijutsu!"

"Do you not think I have already tried that? It does not work that easily. I cannot even get someone to teach me! No one would teach me anyway, look at-,"

"I'll teach you." The boy looked up at the man, who smiled. "I'll become your sensei, your inspiration."

The boy wiped his eyes, and looked sadly at the ground. "You do not have to do that. I can manage-,"

"Look at what just happened. You nearly just lost that unstoppable determination of yours, determination that I look for in my students."

"R-Really?"

"Yes." The man offered the boy his hand, and he helped him up.

"Thank you, uhh-,"

"Might Guy, at your service." The man smiled largely at him and gave him a thumbs-up.

The boy wiped his eyes again, and replied, "Rock Lee, Guy-sensei."

"OK, Lee. Now, I have a question for you: Do you know what the Power of Youth is?"

"No, sir." Guy smiled at him, and began to explain.

"Well, it's the…"

* * *

**_Yakumo_**

A girl with light brown hair glared up at an older man, who was her uncle. He was standing next to the Third Hokage, an old war veteran and leader of Konoha. He was conversing lowly with Hokage about the girl in front of him, making sure she couldn't hear him. They were in the Hokage's office, evening sunlight streaming through the window.

"Yakumo's powers are out of control, and I don't know the problem exactly, though I have a theory. But anyway we need to do something. Her parents are dead because of her powers." The uncle leaned in and whispered in the old man's ear, and the Hokage's eyes widened as he heard.

"Are you sure, Unkai-sama?"

"Not positive. I wanted you to check," answered Unkai, and the Hokage nodded. He walked over to the girl, who turned her glare towards him.

"I know you're talking about me. I don't want to be here, and I'd rather be at home…doing things," she was quiet toward the end, remembering the fire, and her parents screaming. Why had Unkai-oji rescued her instead of her parents? She was just a kid! The Hokage smiled gently, grandfatherly at her.

"You can't do that now. I need to see something. It won't take long and won't hurt." She looked at him mistrustfully, but slowly relaxed. "Good, now close your eyes." She did so, and the old man placed his hand on her head. At this, she tensed slightly, but Hokage softly reassured her. He focused chakra to his hand, and slowly pushed his way into her psyche.

Once there, he looked around. It was dark, for one, and extremely offsetting. Something was just not right. He scanned the area that was visible, and slowly began to feel something that hadn't visited him since the last Shinobi War War: fear.

He slowly turned, and glimpsed a shady figure standing five feet away. The Hokage leapt back surprisingly fast for a man his age, and lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Who are you?" The figure chuckled darkly, and stepped into the light. The Hokage couldn't help but gasp; this…thing appeared to be some gross culmination of the girl's dark emotions. It had the same hair, except it was shaggy and greasy; the same clothes, except for the poor condition they were in; and the same hair clip in the exact position Yakumo had it. He took a step back, and demanded, "What are you?"

"I," rumbled the demon, "am the destruction of Konoha. I am the reaper of vengeance for this little girl who lost her parents." It chuckled. "Because of me."

"Unkai-sama told me that something unnatural started that fire, and he sent me here to investigate."

"Unkai? That old fart? If he really thinks that you can stop me, he might want to rethink his plan." It laughed lowly. "Actually, nothing can stop me. Nothing mortal anyway. You might as well release me and get things over with." It laughed again, and lunged for the old man without warning, who quickly exited Yakumo's psyche. He stood, panting, as he recovered from the near-death experience. The girl had paled and begun shivering. Unkai knelt by her and tried to console her, but she jerked at his touch.

"Don't touch me!" A sad expression settled on the older man's face, and he looked down. The Hokage put a hand on Yakumo's shoulder. She tried to shake it off, but he held her firmly.

"It's alright, child. Nothing to be afraid of," he assured. She stopped crying after a few minutes of consoling, and looked at the Hokage with watery eyes.

"I-I saw and heard everything, Hokage-sama. That-that thing…it killed my parents. It-it looked like me…" She looked down. "I killed my parents."

"Now, Yakumo, don't say that," said Unkai, kneeling in front of her. She glared at him.

"I may have killed my parents, but you didn't try to rescue them! And you knew about the demon! Why!?" She choked, and repeated weakly, "Why?"

Unkai sighed gloomily. "I didn't rescue your parents because they loved you." Yakumo shot him a puzzled yet angry look. "They would've wanted me to rescue you instead of them because you are the hope of the clan and their beloved child. If I had saved them, though, and you have died, they would've been furious." He smiled slightly. "Your mother was terrifying when angry, and your father, my brother, would've never forgiven me." He bowed lowly. "Can you forgive me, Yakumo-hime?" The girl stared at him for a while, and eventually smiled softly.

"C'mon Uncle. No need to bow. I forgive you." She sighed. "I see the reasons why you saved me, and thank you." The Hokage smiled at the girl. '_She's wise beyond her years. She'll make a great clan leader,' _he thought. She looked up at him. "What do we do about the monster inside my mind?" she asked bluntly. '_Not to mention direct as well. A definite leader,'_ added the Hokage.

"I have a student that is a master at sealing techniques. He could possibly help…,"

* * *

**Timeskip: Next Genin Exams**

Naruto had chosen to wake up earlier than usual that morning, and had looked in the closet for more shinobi-like clothing. Sure, he liked his jumpsuit, but nothing sticks out more than 'kill me now' orange. He'd be an instant target for anyone strong enough (or dumb enough) to take him on. He had picked out a black, light jacket and a dark shirt that conformed to his torso.

Over the past year, Naruto had been training nonstop, his notorious pranking spree coming to an end which relieved many of the village's citizens. And his body showed the results of the training perfectly. He was tall enough to look Shino, the tallest in his class, in the eye, and could easily take down civilian students and few of the shinobi ones. Except for that damned arrogant Sasuke. They had drawn a few times, but Naruto had never squeezed a defeat from him.

He wore dark blue pants much like those worn by the Chunin and Jonin of Konoha with a weapon holster strapped to his right leg. All in all, the attire was several times more professional than the jumpsuit, which was hanging forlornly in the closet. He looked at it, and chuckled. "I'll wear it when I'm off-duty inside the village," Naruto told himself. He opened a window, and jumped out.

At the Academy, the blonde wasn't surprised when he was the first there; even Iruka hadn't arrived. He opened a window to the classroom and slid in stealthily, dropping panther-like to the ground. A few prank opportunities immediately presented themselves, but he ignored them. No need to get into trouble on the big day, right? He went and sat at a random desk near the door, waiting for the rest to arrive. While he was waiting, Naruto yawned, leaned back in his chair, and propped his feet on the desk.

The first to arrive was predictably Iruka about five minutes later. As he entered, he started at the sight of Naruto, but an amused look came onto his face as he saw the open window. "Got in through the window, 'ay Naruto? Seems like I forgot to lock them," he chuckled. Naruto followed his gaze and mentally swore as he saw the window. He had forgotten about that. A good shinobi never forgets things like that.

Iruka chuckled a bit more, and went to organize his chaotic mess of a desk. He then realized another detail. "Uh, Naruto? Where's your classic jumpsuit? Did you forget or something?"

The blonde grinned. "Nope. I realized that it's a little too flashy for the life of ninja, so I chose to go with something a little more…somber." He spoke intelligently and smoothly, something the man had never expected from the boy. Iruka grinned inwardly; Naruto was always full of surprises.

"That confident you're going to pass this time, huh?" he teased.

Naruto grinned wickedly. "Absolutely." Iruka shook his head and chuckled some more, and went back to organizing his desk.

The second to arrive a half-hour later was Shino, a tall, creepy boy with dark sunglasses and a high-collared jacket that covered most of his lower face. The boy raised an eyebrow at the blonde, who grinned back. Shino seemed to narrow his eyes, and head toward the back of the room.

Next was Sasuke, who glared at Naruto, who smiled lazily back. The two of them were rivals/enemies, but Naruto could wager in an all-out fight that he himself would be victorious. This wasn't simple boasting; the blonde had calculated the events of a battle between him and Sasuke and found that no matter what the Uchiha could pull out the back of his ass Naruto could outlast him by having enormous chakra reserves.

"Hey, dobe, ready to fail the next Exam? You seem ready to go," said Sasuke, sliding into a desk in the middle row.

"To hell I'm failing. I'm going to become a ninja before you and be the greatest shinobi ever! And then I will become the Hokage!" retorted Naruto, putting his hands behind his head. He still hadn't given up on his Hokage dream, but knew he needed to become a talented shinobi first. And that was going to take blood, sweat, and tears. And more sweat.

Sasuke snorted and sulked moodily. Naruto rolled his eyes. '_Freaking emo. I wouldn't be surprised if he cut himself.'_ Kiba was next, and all he did was give the blonde a puzzled look before sitting next to Shino, who he whispered to.

After that were Shikamaru, the lazy genius, and Choji, the gentle giant (except when you called him fat or ate his food. Then it was on like Donkey Kong). Shikamaru had done the same as Shino, lazily lifting an eyebrow, and then mumbling something about troublesome blondes. Choji had frowned and quickly followed his friend as he munched on chips.

The next pair to enter was the banshees and leaders of the fangirls, Ino and Sakura. Both were wrestling and pulling hair in order to sit by Sasuke, who sat in the middle of two seats. It was obvious he hadn't thought about his rabid fan club, and Naruto saw an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"Sakura. Ino," he said forcefully, grabbing the girls' attention. They looked at him suspiciously, and Naruto gestured toward the two seats beside the Uchiha. "There are two empty seats right by Sasuke. Perhaps you could each take one and be the object of his nonexistent interest then," he suggested, lacing his fingers together. The two had stopped listening when they heard 'two empty seats' and completely missed the insult. Naruto chuckled; reading had really helped his vocabulary and taunts, even if some people were too dim to appreciate them.

The two girls had settled down and were climbing all over the Uchiha who threw a malevolent glare in the blonde's direction. Naruto grinned and shook his head. He looked over at Sakura. He had had a crush on her during the first year of the Academy, but quickly realized that she couldn't see anyone but Sasuke and had a particularly violent personality. Definitely not girlfriend material, but if she lightened up Sakura would be a great friend.

Five minutes before class started (or for Naruto, the Genin Exams), the Hyuuga heiress Hinata walked in meekly. Naruto grinned as he saw her. He remembered the day he had saved her from the bullies.

_"__Hey! Stop that! Stop being mean to her!"_

_"__Yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Naruto quickly made a handsign, and the group of boys quickly stepped away from the small form of Hinata._

_"__H-he's going to use a jutsu!"_

_"__Hell yeah I am!" A puff of smoke erupted from several spots behind the blonde, and several ghosts of clones appeared. At first the group was stunned, but quickly the shock gave into laughter._

_"__Diversion!" shouted Naruto, jumping down from a tree above the boys and landing on the back of one. As soon as the boy's head hit the ground, he was unconscious. The other two tried to tackle Naruto, but he had rolled to the side. He grabbed one as they lunged and pulled him behind himself and punched the other in the face as he sailed straight for him. Naruto quickly turned to finish the other one, but found he had escaped; he could hear him howling and crying for his mommy._

_The blonde grinned and walked over to Hinata, who was slowly getting up. He offered a hand, "Need help?" She raised her head and looked at it, and slowly took it. Her hand was small and soft, and he pulled her up. "You okay?" She nodded, raising her lavender eyes to his. '_She has really pretty eyes. Prettier than Sakura-chan's…Sakura's.'

_"__Th-thank y-you. W-what's your n-name?" she asked. Naruto grinned, but it quickly faded as he heard another pair of footsteps coming in their direction, and by the sound of it, the person was running._

_"__Uh, gotta go!" said Naruto quickly, scurrying. As he ran, however, he shouted over his shoulder, "By the way, it's Naruto Uzumaki!"_

Naruto smiled softly; it had been the same day his crush on Sakura had ended. And imagine his surprise when he had found that the same pretty girl was in his class. God, why didn't he notice her sooner? She obviously had a crush on him (he wasn't that dense) and had a wonderful, if a bit quiet, personality to boot.

But she was the Hyuuga heiress, the future leader of the most powerful clan in Konoha. He sighed as he thought of that. She had money, status, connections, everything a clanless, hopeless little boy like him didn't have. Maybe when he became a well-known shinobi or even the Hokage would he consider taking action, but now he simply had to wait, which he never enjoyed.

"Hello, Hinata," he greeted, waving at her. She blushed and waved timidly back.

"H-Hello, Naruto-kun," she replied, and then she noticed what he wore. She had noticed that he had been growing over the past year, but now these clothes _really_ brought it out. It was clear that his entire body was toned with muscle, and Hinata's nose began to bleed slightly as she thought about it. She quickly turned and turned tomato-red. Naruto grinned. '_Was that a nosebleed?...Hell yeah. Practical and making the ladies swoon. Gotta love it,' _he thought, and then mentally rolling his eyes as he listened to his thoughts. '_That sounded bad. I'm only eleven.' _

After Hinata had taken her seat, Iruka rose from his desk. "Good morning, class. As you know, the Genin Exams are today, and before we start class, I want to know if any of you are willing to try to enter them?" There was silence, and slowly one raised his hand: Naruto. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Hinata smiled slightly. "Naruto, are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright. Go to Room 252. I'm sure you can find it."

"Aren't you going to be a monitor?" asked Naruto.

"No, not this year. Sorry." Naruto cursed inwardly; that significantly lowered his chances. All of the villagers disliked him for some reason. Not really hate, but still…they shunned him. Like that family in the park a year ago today. Naruto nodded to let Iruka know he understood, and exited the classroom.

In the waiting room, Naruto paced anxiously. He wasn't the only one to do so. Another boy with a bowl haircut and a green jumpsuit also paced, but would randomly stopped and did a blindingly fast set of pushups and sit-ups. '_Hmm, looks to specialize in taijutsu. That jumpsuit…I have a feeling I've seen it somewhere, but I can't remember where.'_

Another student was leaning in the corner, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. He was very tall, about six feet, and looked to be the oldest in the room, maybe about fourteen. He wore a grey battle kimono with a white waist sash and a katana was strapped to the sash. He had shoulder-length shaggy black hair and dark blue eyes. His face was angular and handsome, but surprisingly there were no fangirls around; he seemed to have an intimidating aura. A scar ran from underneath his left eye and curved inward and back out, giving a grotesque impression of a tear streak.

Naruto immediately thought this guy was the equivalent of Sasuke, but was proven wrong when another student approached him. The teen did not grunt or leer at the other, but instead made polite conversation. The conversation didn't last long as he didn't try to prolong it, but he still answered every question respectfully. Naruto frowned. "Hey, who's that guy over there?" he asked a girl, pointing at him.

"That's Tomitsu," she answered simply. "Don't you know?"

"No, I'm from the younger class."

"Oh. You look older. Not to mention you look like you train nonstop like Lee over there." She jerked a thumb toward the boy in the jumpsuit. She grinned. "But you look _so _much better."

Naruto fought off a blush. '_Damn.'_ "Anyway, back to my question. How does this Tomitsu act?"

The girl seemed disappointed, but answered, "He's polite and kind, if a bit distant. Also very humble. Not to mention a looker." She gazed longingly at Tomitsu, but then shook her head. "He never flirts though. Some think he swings for the other team, though I doubt it."

'_In that regard, he and Sasuke are alike,'_ thought Naruto. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Naruto returned his gaze to the teen. '_Judging by the katana, he knows kenjutsu. And by extension taijutsu. Very big, so probably a physical fighter. Nin and gen are unknown,' _he analyzed mentally. He nodded to himself, and scanned the room for other notable people.

He stopped when he saw a Hyuuga, a boy with long brown pulled back with a headband. '_Huh. Another Hyuuga. Wonder what he's-HOLY SHIT!'_ Naruto ducked and narrowly dodged a kunai that hit with a loud _thunk_ right where his head would've been. "Goddammit! What was that about!" he shouted.

"Sorry! It slipped from my finger!" apologized a girl with her hair in buns. She came over and picked up the kunai. She wore a sleeveless pink Chinese shirt and dark green pants.

Naruto frowned at her. "What do you mean it slipped from your finger?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I usually twirl a kunai on my index finger, like this."

She did so, and Naruto carefully watched it as he said, "OK. I guess it was an accident." He paused. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Consider it payment for me nearly murdering you," she said, shrugging and grinning.

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "That Hyuuga over there, how is he?"

"Oh, Neji? Well, I hate to say it but he's a bit of an ass sometimes. Going on about fate this and fate that and how the Hyuuga are superior. He does have a few good points, but he'd be less arrogant he'd be nice enough. He's also good-looking, at least to me." She paused. "Don't know why I told you that. Not unless you go that way."

Naruto facepalmed. "No. I do NOT go that way."

"Just teasing. But please don't tell him, alright?" she pleaded.

The blonde waved a hand airily. "Don't worry. My lips are sealed. What else about him?"

"Well, he's got a little rabid fanclub." She rolled her eyes.

Naruto grinned. "I have a feeling you dislike fangirls."

"Dislike? More like despise. Won't quit worrying about their hair or make-up or nails. God, I'd like to strangle all of them. Neji ignores them though. Says he likes girls that can take care of themselves," she said, shrugging. "It's been nice talking with you."

"Likewise. What's your name?"

"TenTen. Yours?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." TenTen seemed to frown, puzzled, but walked away before Naruto could ask her why. '_Hm. She seemed nice. Handles a kunai a bit haphazardly though, but confident with it. Weapons specialist? Not sure. Need to observe more.'_ He turned his attention toward Neji.

'_Sounds just like Sasuke, fangirls and everything. Tai is probably like Hinata's. Don't know name but it can incapacitate. Hmm. Based off of arrogance, he might only use that. Idiotic if he does.' _Naruto spied a girl with long brown hair wearing an orange kimono sitting quietly on a bench next to the wall. She had the Kurama insignia on the chest of the kimono.

'_Kurama clan? Don't know much about them. Had a fire a while back. Two people killed, I think. Looks rather frail. Genjutsu user or long-range? Certainly looks like she can't use tai worth a damn.'_ He shook his head, and filed away all the information he had gathered.

A teacher came out of a room connected with the one Naruto was in. "OK, Genin hopefuls, the Exam is composed of three parts: the written portion, the taijutsu portion, and the ninjutsu portion. First up is written. ('_Dammit. I hate theory.')_ If you'll follow me, I'll take to the room where it is being held."

The written portion went poorly for the blonde, who expected nothing less. He hoped he could do well enough on the other two parts to make up for it. For taijutsu, they were called into a room and asked to spar with a Chunin. As he entered, Naruto prayed that the Chunin wouldn't try to hurt him intentionally; it hadn't happened yet, but there are firsts for everything. As the Chunin saw the blonde, he frowned. Naruto stepped into the small sparring ring, and he said, "Are you ready, Uzumaki?"

Mouth too dry to speak, Naruto nodded. The Chunin threw a punch directly at the blonde's gut, and Naruto sidestepped and jabbed at his opponent's face. The man bent his head back, but it still grazed him on the chin. The Chunin sweep his leg under Naruto, causing him to fall. Naruto caught himself by standing on his hands, however, and delivered a kick under the man's chin.

The man grinned slightly after recovering, and the two traded blows for about a minute, neither gaining the upper hand. This changed, however, when the man feinted with a punch. Naruto fell for it and dodged, only to get his legs swept out from under him again. His opponent tried to follow up with a stomp, but Naruto rolled and crouched. The man turned to face the blonde, and Naruto jumped up and landed a hard uppercut on his jaw, the full power of his legs and arms behind it.

The man swayed for a moment, but recovered. He shook his head, and charged the blonde, who waited anticipatorily. '_Wait…NOW!'_ As the man reached him, Naruto jumped straight up, and kicked the man on the top of his head, causing him to fall unconscious. The blonde was worried for a second. '_Hope I didn't kill him.' _He was relieved when the man stirred and slowly rose. They met each other's eyes, and the man started to laugh.

"Gotta admit, brat, you're the first to knock me out. You definitely pass this with flying colors," he said, and Naruto beamed. "But don't let get to your head. That boy in the jumpsuit was a monster. He made me look like fool." The man cricked his neck. "Anyway, get back into that room. The last part will begin shortly." He saw the blonde pale, and chuckled. "Guess ninjutsu isn't your strong suite." Naruto shook his head and exited the room, sighing a breath mixed with relief and dread.

'_C'mon, I know I can use the Transformation and Substitution, and I pretty much have the Shadow Clone Jutsu down. Still can't help being nervous though,'_ he thought, sitting down on the ground in one of the corners of the room. He closed his eyes and began meditating, slowly blocking out the chatter of the others. He had read that this helped chakra control, something that he sorely lacked.

Finally, all outside noise was silenced, and Naruto drifted in a peaceful sea of darkness. '_So comfortable. And silent. I could get used to this…hey, what's that feeling?'_ There was another presence somewhere, a malevolent one. Naruto frowned, and pushed his way toward it. He got closer and closer until he could see-

"Uzumaki, Naruto!"

Naruto swore softly, and rose from the floor. He looked around and saw that all the other students had left or had Konoha headbands. "Uzumaki!" The blonde shook his head, and entered the testing room. Inside there were three monitors sitting at a table, their faces blank. He stood in front of the monitors, and one ordered, "Use the Transformation Jutsu. Transform into anything you like, as long as it's appropriate." Naruto smirked, made a handsign, and changed into the Third Hokage. Every aspect was perfect. "Alright. Perfect," said the man.

Another one, a woman, said, "Now use Substitution." The blonde nodded, and quickly replaced himself with a log and back again. She nodded. '_Alright, two down, one to go,'_ mused Naruto, gulping.

"The final one: the Clone Jutsu," ordered the last one. Naruto obliged, and soon five clones appeared in a puff of smoke. He mentally crossed his fingers hoping that they wouldn't notice the shadows that the clones made, as the actual genjutsu clones had no shadows. After a long tense minute, the man nodded. "You pass this part. And we have the results from the other portions as well."

The woman picked up a paper from the table and read, "You received a 70 on the written part." '_Really!? Sheesh, did better than I thought.'_ "A 95 on the taijutsu, and a 100 on this. So your final score is 88. You pass." She stood and took a headband from a table in the corner. "Congrats, you are now ninja." She tossed it and the blonde caught it. He stared down at it until one of the monitors cleared his throat.

"That'll be all. We have to wrap this thing up." Naruto nodded furiously and thanked them, and rushed out the door. '_HELL YEAH!'_ He whooped and jumped in joy, exiting the Academy. Not even the cold attitude of the parents could bring him down; he had just accomplished his first major goal and _nobody _was going to ruin it.

"Hey, Naruto!" The blonde turned to find Iruka behind him. "Well, did you make it?" he asked. Naruto grinned and lifted the headband as an answer. Iruka grinned back. "I thought you would've put it on by now. Do you need help?" he teased good-naturedly. The blonde rolled his eyes and tied it to his forehead, the Konoha symbol glinting in the sunlight.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei, do you think you could treat me at Ichiraku's? You know, in celebration?" asked Naruto. Iruka acted like he was considering it, though he had been going to even if the blonde had failed. Naruto was like a son or little brother to him, even if he housed the Fox. The energetic kid wasn't like that monster.

"Sure," agreed Iruka, after a nerve-wracking minute for Naruto.

"ALRIGHT! Race you there!"

"Hey, you have a headstart!"

* * *

**Hmm, this turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be. About 6,700 words. Other chapters probably won't be this long, and updates will be random. As you can see, this is NaruHina, but the romance won't come in for a while. Next chapter is going to be placement and the ****_actual_**** Genin Exam. And here's an omake. There won't be many of these, but the few that I do write will have an impact later in the story, even if it's a little splash. (Edit: Spacing and a bit of wording. Spacing was the biggie.)**

**Omake: How Hayate got his Limp**

'_WHAT? Hayate is cheating on Yugao? I've got to tell Anko!' _thought Kurenai as she tried to walk calmly out of the library. Once outside, however, she bolted straight for her longtime friend's apartment. She pounded on the door, causing it to fly off and startle Anko.

"Hey! Watch it you- Oh! Kure-chan! Whacha want?" she asked, the anger about the door fading. She could sedu-_ahem _- _persuade_ the maintenance man into repairing it later.

"I've got bad news for Yugao," replied Kurenai, sitting down on Anko's couch.

The Snake Mistress frowned. "Then why come to me?"

"Well, you see…" She told Anko about the incident in the library, and by the time Kurenai finished she was restraining her friend from causing major bodily harm to Hayate.

"THAT BASTARD! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM-,"

"Ack! Stop Anko-chan! Calm down!"

"CALM DOWN?! HE CHEATED-,"

"I know he did, but we have to act strong Yugao! Maybe encourage her that violence isn't the answer!" said Kurenai. Anko turned and glared at her, but took several deep, calming breaths.

"Alright. But if this doesn't work, I'm blaming you."

When Yugao arrived at her apartment from ANBU work that day, she found her two best friends Anko and Kurenai sitting on couch. "Hey you two! Why are you here? Something funny happen?"

Kurenai sighed and lifted her eyes to meet Yugao's. "Something did happen, but it's not funny."

"What? Did someone die? Who?" she asked concernedly.

"No one died, Yugao," assured Anko, "but, well, Hayate, uh, kind of _kissed _another woman today-,"

"WHAT!?"

Kurenai stepped in. "Now, now Yugao, don't go-," The purple-haired was gone, leaving behind a breeze and a murderous intent.

Anko slouched back on the couch. "Told you it wouldn't work."

"Well, I tried. Hope she doesn't-,"

"HAYATE!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"-hurt him too badly," finished Kurenai weakly.

In the end, Hayate had agreed to go to the Yamanaka's to be interrogated, and was found not guilty of cheating. However, the doctors at the hospital said that he would forever have a limp from his girlfriend's merciless beating. Yugao apologized profusely, but Hayate assured her it was alright. She still wanted to make up for it, and let's just say…Hayate was a _really _happy man for the next month.

**Anyway, please review! Toodles!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! This story has gotten viewed and has joined two communities! And for those who are wondering why I haven't selected Hinata in the Character Selection since this will be NaruHina is because the romance probably won't come in until later chapters. Hell, I'm thinking their first kiss should be somewhere in Shippuden. Don't kill me about that; this Naruto is going slow. (Yawn) Now for the disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, only my OC, Tomitsu.**

**_Chapter Two_**

The Hokage rubbed his aching temples and sighed. This Genin squad selection was going to be the death of him. Eighteen had graduated, lower than usual but not uncommon. He had already grouped most of the students with their respective senseis, and he had only six graduates left: Naruto, Neji, TenTen, Lee, Tomitsu, and Yakumo. The remaining senseis were Might Guy and Anko. The Hokage sighed again. He was really getting too old for this.

Naruto graduating had thrown a wrench into his original plan: to group Lee, Neji, and TenTen together and Tomitsu and Yakumo receiving an older Genin. Not that the old man was angry; he saw the blonde as a surrogate grandson and was quite proud of him. It's just sometimes he was too much to handle. The Hokage leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together in a thoughtful gesture.

Lee would definitely benefit from having Guy as a sensei, but seeing that the two had a firm (if a bit creepy) relationship beforehand, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for him to be taught by another Jonin. He could simply train with Guy after he did so with his squad; the Hyuuga did exactly the same thing with their ninja. So this meant Lee could be put on a team with Anko.

Yakumo was probably the easiest to place; she wouldn't benefit from Guy since he had a poor amount experience with genjutsu. Also Guy would probably work her to death; even though the Snake Mistress was known for her sadism, the old man knew she could give people a break when absolutely needed. She also had plenty experience with genjutsu due to her being part of T&I with Ibiki. Yakumo was definitely on Anko's team.

Tomitsu was notorious for never using jutsu; he used only ken- and taijutsu. The Exams had been altered for him, the ninjutsu portion being replaced with kenjutsu. His father was a former samurai from the Land of Iron, and both followed the _bushido_, the code of the samurai. The Hokage had no intimation why Tomitsu's father had moved to Konoha, a shinobi village of all places, and why he had enlisted his son in the Academy. He shrugged; some people were just mysterious. The teen had phenomenal fighting skills and would likely work best with either Lee or Neji, prodigies in their respective fighting styles. The Hokage debated for a while who the young samurai should be paired with, and finally settled upon Lee. They both could relate to not using chakra and would be excellent frontline fighters to protect the long-range genjutsu user Yakumo. Tomitsu would also gain experience from the sadistic Anko who would serve as their sensei.

The Hokage exhaled and straightened in his chair. He scribbled down the team members and sensei, and quickly reviewed his idea. It would leave Neji, Naruto, and TenTen as a team with Guy as their mentor. Neji was a Hyuuga; he would most likely receive outside training. TenTen specialized in weapons and would provide the long-range aspect of the team. She could also teach herself without any aid. Naruto would be the only member to really gain anything from being under Guy; his taijutsu was a bit sloppy and unpredictable, even if he had beaten a Chunin. Teaching him a style would remarkably improve his skills.

'_So then it is decided,'_ thought the Hokage. He called out to his secretary, "Gather the Jonin senseis in the main hall for team announcements, Miza."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

In about an hour, ten Jonins were standing in the main hall of the Hokage Tower. They looked toward a table with the Hokage sitting in the center and his two advisors, Koharu and Homura. "I am glad that you have all gathered here today-,"

"Kakashi still hasn't arrived, Hokage-sama," piped up Anko, scanning the room.

The old man sighed as a vein pulsed in his forehead. '_Why. The. Hell. IS HE ALWAYS LATE!?' _screamed the Hokage inwardly. "Noted. I will inform him about team selections after he arrives." He picked a roster and began to read out the names. There was an accepting silence until he reached one team in particular. "Team 6: Rock Lee, Yakumo Kurama, and Tomitsu Gitsuuga. The sensei is Anko Mitarashi."

Anko, who had heard about the two non-charkra users of the class, argued, "What! I have absolutely nothing to teach Lee and Tomitsu! Those two never use chakra, and I can't ever _not _use it! The only that I can really teach is Yakumo!"

The Hokage listened as she stated her argument and nodded understandably after she finished. "I can see why you are distraught. However, this is your team and it is final. Teach them something that none have ever thought about. I know that you are an inventor; take their techniques and change them to make them deadlier. You're smarter than you know, Anko. You'll make it work." The Snake Mistress grumbled but didn't pursue the topic; it was damn impossible to argue with him. Maybe, just maybe, this would work. But then, she had never passed a team before, so maybe these brats were the same as the others.

"Any other objections?" asked the Hokage, scanning the crowd. There were none, and he resumed reading. When he reached the final team, there was another murmur in the crowd. "Team 9, Neji Hyuuga, TenTen Jinta, and Naruto Uzumaki."

"What!? That demon passed!?"

"Shut up!" The first man immediately quieted, looking fearfully at the Hokage, who glared at him.

"I will pretend that I did not hear that. Thank your friend beside you." The second man who told the other to shush threw a pointed look at the first, who looked down.

"Let me finish. Team 9's sensei will be Might Guy." Guy, who was standing in the back, frowned, disappointed that he couldn't have his star pupil on his squad. He shrugged; maybe he could teach another on the team he had been given. He could still train Lee after team practice. The old man once again looked out to the group, and asked, "Any objections?" Silence. "Alright. You know the procedure. Tomorrow at the Academy."

Kakashi, who had just arrived to hear the last sentence, asked, "What happens at the Academy tomorrow?" The Hokage sighed, and pressed his fingers to his forehead.

"KAKASHI! MY RIVAL!" bellowed Guy, appearing by the white-haired Jonin and clapping him on the back. Due to the force, Kakashi fell on his face with his rear stuck straight into the air. Guy frowned. "Kakashi, what happened?"

"YOU happened, Guy. Now let me get up," mumbled Kakashi dangerously. As he brushed himself off, he repeated, "So… what's happening at the Academy tomorrow?"

The old man resisted choking the man. "Consider the date. What happened today?"

"Well, I had a really good lunch, and then a good read," mused Kakashi, and then he eye-smiled, "Hey, Hokage-sama, have you reached that part where Imuka played with-,"

"KAKASHI! The Genin Exams were today!"

"Oh…OH! Tomorrow is when we get our students. Who's on my team?"

The Hokage was snorting heavily, and he slowly drew up a deep breath. "I didn't assign you a team this year."

"Oh. Well, I was just going to fail them anyway. Bye." He was off in a swirl of leaves.

"I am going to kill that man someday," muttered the Hokage lowly. In a louder voice, he said the remaining Jonins, "You are dismissed."

Naruto yawned. It was early morning, and the sun was slowly rising in the east. He smiled, and sat up in his bed. He looked over to his nightstand and the smile widened. There it was, his proof of being a ninja, flashing in the light. He stood and dressed quickly. He hadn't woken up as early as yesterday, and had about thirty minutes to arrive. It took about twenty to run there. After hastily grabbing a granola bar, he rushed out the door.

At the Academy, Naruto was at a bit of a loss at where to go. He hadn't heard them say the room number and hoped he wouldn't be late. He ran into Iruka while searching, and asked hurriedly, "Iruka-sensei! Do you know where the Genin graduates are waiting for their senseis?"

The man smiled and answered, "Room 252, the same as yesterday."

"Thank you!" The blonde rushed off, leaving behind an amused Iruka. _'I guess some things never change,'_ he thought.

Once at the designated classroom door, the blonde paused and took a breath to collect himself. Opening the door, he looked to see who had passed. Lee had passed and wore his headband around his waist. He was sitting in a corner, chatting with Tomitsu whose headband was strapped to his right arm. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the fact the teen seemed to be conversing freely; he didn't look the one to chat. Yakumo was beside the pair, drawing in a sketch book of hers. Her headband was around her neck.

"Hey, Naruto, right?" shouted a voice from across the room. Naruto glanced in the direction of it and saw TenTen waving energetically at him. There was an empty chair beside her, and she gestured toward it. He smiled and walked over.

"Yes. It's Naruto," he said, sliding into the chair. She wore her headband around her forehead, as did Neji who sat on the opposite side of her. She grinned at him.

"Finally, I got a name right! And I usually suck with names!"

The blonde smirked. "Then what's my last name?"

She faltered, her brow furrowing in concentration. After a minute, she exclaimed, "OH! Uzumaki! I remember that because they were known for fuinjutsu!" She paused and glanced at Naruto. "But you don't look like one. In all the pictures that I've seen of them they have red hair. Do you know any fuinjutsu, by any chance?"

Naruto snorted. "I don't even know what the word means, let alone know anything about it."

"Aw." She pouted. "Oh, well."

"You said you knew about my last name, Uzumaki? What do you mean 'they'?" asked Naruto curiously.

"Well, from what I've read from them, they were a native clan to the Land of Whirlpools. They even had their own village, Uzushiogakure, and leader, the Uzukage. They were experts in fuinjutsu and were to be feared and respected. They also were allied with Konoha during the Shinobi Wars."

"Really?" said Naruto excitedly, but then he hushed as he noticed something. "You're using the past tense. What happened to them?"

TenTen dropped her eyes and looked at her lap. She hated being the bearer of bad news. "They-they were all killed in an combined attack from Iwa and Kumo. Konoha tried to help, but were tied up with Kiri and Suna. The Uzumaki clan fought valiantly for three days before the last man was killed. It was said there were no survivors, but," she smiled softly at Naruto, whose eyes were starting to tear up, "I guess there are others. Maybe you're not alone."

He wiped his eyes. "Maybe. Thank you, anyway."

"Their fate had been determined. They could not have changed it even if they had tried," stated Neji, scowling.

Naruto glared at the Hyuuga. "Shut up, will you? That was probably my family, you bastard!"

Neji sneered at him. "Do not think you are the only one to lose family at the hands of fate, Uzumaki-san."

"Why you-," At that moment, the Chunin in charge of the class walked in to see TenTen restraining Naruto.

He raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

At the sight of the man, Naruto calmed and scowled at the Hyuuga boy. '_Later.'_

"No? Good. I'm here to announce the teams. After that, you are no longer my responsibility. Alright, Team 5:…" The man drawled on and Naruto tuned him out until he heard familiar names. "Team 6: Rock Lee, Yakumo Kurama, and Tomitsu Gitsuuga. Your sensei is Anko Mitarashi." Lee and Tomitsu nodded at each other and shook hands. Yakumo glanced at Lee and blushed lightly. Lee grinned at her and gave her a thumb's up.

'_Huh. Interesting. A typical setup: two close range and one long range. Will go far if team dynamics are good,'_ thought Naruto. '_Wonder who I'm with. TenTen would be nice, but please not with Neji. If so, I'll be chased out of the village for murder soon.'_

"Team 9: Neji Hyuuga, TenTen Jinta, and Naruto Uzumaki. Your sensei is Might Guy."

'_Goddammit. Why does the world hate me?'_ complained Naruto mentally. TenTen smiled at him and ruffled his hair. The blonde shook his head and playfully glared at her. She was okay. However…Neji scowled at him from the other side of TenTen, his white eyes boring straight into Naruto's. '_His eyes are cold, not like Hinata's. Wonder why he's so…angry. That's what it is. He's angry about something, but what?'_ Naruto shook the thought off and filed it away for later.

After the Chunin finished, he said, "Your senseis will be here-,"

_CRASH!_

_BOOM!_

_THUD!_

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS OF TEAM 6, FOLLOW ME!" shouted a woman with light purple hair and a revealing outfit that gave several boys nosebleeds. Naruto sweatdropped. '_She reminds me of myself when I was younger…that makes me sound like Gramps._'

Yakumo looked positively terrified of the lady, and Lee had tilted his head to the side in confusion. Tomitsu had his head in his hands, and the blonde couldn't blame him. His sensei looked to be nuts or worse.

"Uh, Anko-san?" piped up the man. She turned toward him with an annoyed glare. He gulped. "You're early." Her face fell, and Naruto had to resist the urge to laugh.

"What? Again? Goddammit…" She trailed off, muttering curses as she walked out the door only to return seconds later with the rest of the Jonins in tow.

A man wearing a flak jacket over a green jumpsuit much like Lee's stepped up. "Team 9? Training Ground 23. Five minutes! And C'MERE LEE!" The two started to run toward each other in a comical slow motion effect, and Naruto blinked. '_What the hell?'_ The pair hugged with tears streaming down their faces, and suddenly there was backdrop of a sunset behind them.

"ARGH! MY YOUNG, INNOCENT EYES!" shouted Naruto, falling back onto TenTen who was genuinely frozen by the display. Neji's eyebrow twitched and Lee's two teammates were slowly edging away from the hugging duo. All of them tried to dispel the genjutsu, but to no avail. Eventually, the scarring sight faded as the two parted.

Then they ruined it by punching the air and bellowing, "POWER OF YOUTH!"

Tomitsu seemed near mental breakdown, if his entire face twitching was anything to go by, and Yakumo was silently rocking back and forth. The rest of class hadn't fared much better; most were unconscious or had a total mind meltdown. The Jonins simply shook their heads. Anko grabbed her students and dragged them out the door, and Team 9 looked fearfully at each other. How would they survive and keep their sanity?

"Alright, Team 9! Let me repeat myself: Training Ground 23, five minutes!" Guy blurred off. '_What!? The training grounds are a half-hour from here!'_ Naruto glanced at his teammates and saw that they had the same thought.

"Guess we better get moving and fast," said the blonde and his team nodded in agreement.

Four minutes later, the three arrive at the determined location, panting. TenTen fell forward on her stomach and groaned. "God…I've never run that fast in my life."

Neji was bent over with his hands on his knees. He said nothing, however, choosing to keep his stoic demeanor.

Naruto was in the same position as Neji, but slowly straightened as his energy came back. He took stock of the surrounding area. It was a cleared area with forest surrounding the perimeter of it, and Naruto could smell moisture not too far off. '_Probably a pond or lake,'_ he thought. In the center of the clearing there was a rock about five feet in diameter, which their sensei was currently standing on.

He jumped down and stood in front of his squad. He gave them a thumb's up to which they deadpanned. "Alright! Let's start with introductions! I'm Might Guy, the Mighty Green Beast of Konoha and a 'nice guy'! I like training, taijutsu, and determination. What I don't like are arrogant people and people who don't try!" he said enthusiastically.

Naruto frowned. '_OK…this guy is a little off his rocker…not to mention he has an unbreakable, mind-melting genjutsu. Those two should NEVER be mixed.'_

His sensei turned towards the blonde. "Naruto! You're up next!"

Said person sighed and mumbled in a monotone, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen and training. I dislike arrogant people and the time it takes to make the ramen, though I can stand it." He might have matured a bit, but it didn't mean he had lost his obsession with ramen.

TenTen was next. She was still lying on the ground, and she groaned as she rose. "God…Well, I'm TenTen Jinta, though I don't like my last name. I like any kind of weapon and Chinese food, and dislike pickled plums." She scrunched her nose at the words. "Blech…Can't stand to think about them."

Neji stepped up and deadpanned, "My name is Neji Hyuuga. I enjoy training my fighting style and dislike fools." He eyed Naruto pointedly, and the blonde glared back.

Guy nodded and gave the three of them a toothy grin. "Alright! Time for the actual Genin Exam!"

"What!? We just passed one!" argued TenTen. Naruto frowned. Another damned test? Great.

"Nope! That beginning test was to see if you were strong enough! Now I test you to see if you are worthy!" Neji inhaled and exhaled slowly through his nose, trying to contain his temper.

He looked at the Jonin. "Then tell us Guy-sensei: what is our final test?"

Guy lowered himself into a fighting stance. His back was straight, legs together, and body turned sideways toward them. His left hand was behind his back while his right hand was held out in front of him, fingers pointing up. "Your test…is to land a single blow on my person. Begin!"

Naruto made the clone handsign and ten clones popped into existence. He nodded at the clones. "Take him in pairs!" TenTen pulled a scroll from her pants pocket and unfurled it. Several kunai shot out of it in a cloud of smoke, all of which completely missed Guy as he leapt into the air. As he landed, he was rushed by Neji, who had a smirk a on his face and thought the man had no knowledge of Gentle Fist. However, he was proved wrong when Guy started to weave in and out of his strikes. Naruto's clones had now reached the fighting pair, and two separated from the group and tried to land a blow on the Jonin.

Guy immediately noticed they were actual clones and used the fact to his advantage. He gripped one of the clones by the scruff of its neck and threw it against the Hyuuga boy. The two slid back about ten feet and fell over each other. Guy finished the other clone by dodging a sloppy left hook and punching it in the gut. TenTen launched senbon at him, and Guy simply sidestepped to avoid getting hit. He charged the rest of Naruto's clones, which stood off slightly to the right. He fought each one in an one-on-one battle, and the clones were no match for the taijutsu master.

The original stood back, observing and analyzing his clone's memories and deductions. '_Definitely a taijutsu master and specialist. I guess that Lee is his student. Guess that Lee also specializes in taijutsu,'_ Naruto winced when a clone was kicked in the arm and then took a fist in the gut. It then dispersed, and its memories were sent back to the blonde. '_Hmm, God, that hurt…I guess the fighting style uses pure force and speed. Deadly, but the user needs to be physical.'_ He then noticed that Guy had finished the last of his clones. '_We won't be able to take him out separately. Teamwork, hm? Great, gotta convince Neji…'_

Said Hyuuga had charged the Jonin again, only to be kicked back into a tree. '_Looks like Guy-sensei has knowledge of Neji's fighting style. Makes sense though. Now I need to convince him.'_ Naruto created more clones to occupy Guy, and ran over to the recovering Neji. The Hyuuga scowled at him as he got closer, and was about to say something until Naruto cut him off. "Look, Neji, I don't care if you don't want help. The entire team had to work together to take this guy down. Get over your pride and help!"

"What if fate-,"

"Would you shut up about fate!? God, I've known for ten minutes and I'm ready trying not to strangle you!" This hushed the Hyuuga. He glared at Naruto but slowly nodded in agreement to Naruto's plan. "Good. Now I have to tell TenTen." By the time Naruto had finished that sentence, his clones had all been destroyed by Guy. The blonde looked over. "Great. Gotta make more." Twenty clones appeared in front of him and charged the Jonin, stopping when they neared him.

"Those are solid clones." stated Neji.

"Yep. Not going to tell you how I learned it though." The two rushed over to TenTen, who was launching senbon at Guy through gaps between the clones. None were hitting, of course, and she was slowly getting frustrated.

'_One hundred shots, one hundred bull's eyes, huh? More like one hundred shots, jack shit!'_ Her mental rant was interrupted by her two teammates nearing her.

"TenTen! I've got a plan!" shouted Naruto.

"Really? Better than nothing. Let's hear it."

Guy was mildly surprised when the blonde boy created twenty Shadow Clones without blinking. He himself could barely make three without dropping to the ground. Naruto also seemed to use them correctly; he didn't try to overload the opponent with them, choosing instead to make him fight each one personally. '_Smart kid, though I wonder how he got a hold of a kinjutsu.'_ The clones were no match for him obviously, and Guy had a sneaking suspicion that the blonde was planning something. After the melee of clones, Guy faced his team, who were standing defiantly twenty feet away. Neji rushed the man as TenTen launched shuriken. Naruto held back, but quickly followed Neji.

'_What are they doing?'_ he thought before engaging in a third taijutsu duel with the Hyuuga and dodging the shuriken. '_Looks like this one doesn't give up easy. Good.'_ Suddenly, he felt his arms being pulled to the side. Guy glanced over and saw two clones pulling his arms away from his body. Neji tried to land a quick strike on the Jonin, but the Jonin once again used Naruto's own jutsu against him. He turned to avoid the blow, and swung his arms, taking the clones with them. A clone crashed into Neji again, and the other thudded into a tree.

Guy heard footsteps behind him and turned to catch the original by the collar. He grinned. "Nice try. I admit all of you have the Power of Youth inside of you!" The original squirmed, but then looked straight at Guy and smiled before he dispelled. '_What!? A clone!'_

The original (this time for sure) had been the one that hit the tree. Naruto rose up and crouched, pulling up his pants leg to reveal weights. He quickly took them off and zigzagged toward Guy, who was caught off guard by the blonde's increase in speed. Naruto tackled the man, and Guy slid back into a tree. Several senbon sailed from nowhere and pinned the Jonin to the tree.

"Get'em, Neji!" The Hyuuga smirked as he rushed toward Guy and landed an incapacitating blow on his torso. The wind rushed from his lungs, and Guy gasped for air. After a few minutes, Guy smiled at his students.

"You pass," he said simply. "Now would you mind getting me off this tree?" TenTen let out a whoop, and Naruto grinned. Neji kept his stoic mask on, but his eyes were smiling. It took about five minutes to pull all the senbon out of the tree, and Guy grinned at his students as he showed them his 'nice guy' pose. They deadpanned at this.

"Well, be here tomorrow, six a.m. sharp for training," Guy announced. TenTen groaned at the early time, and both Neji and Naruto scowled. "You're dismissed for the day." He vanished.

"Six in the morning?" repeated TenTen disbelievingly. "Really?"

"Yeah," verified Naruto. He sighed. "Oh well. Maybe he'll show us something interesting."

She huffed. "Maybe. But it better be pretty interesting to wake me up at 5:30 in the morning."

Naruto shrugged. "None of us like it, even if one doesn't want to admit it." He glanced at Neji, who rolled his eyes but said nothing. "Anyway…you guys have any plans for the rest of the day?"

TenTen tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Well, I train usually after the Academy and although I could train now, I don't particularly want to. If one of you is doing something entertaining, I was going to ask to join."

"Well, I was going to train my accuracy with moving targets. Guy-sensei really messed me up and I want to get better."

Naruto nodded. "I could help with shadow clones. They'll move quickly enough to give you a challenge."

She grinned. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Neji, who had been silent the entire time, said to TenTen, "You really think training will improve your chances of hitting Guy-sensei with a senbon? He's a Jonin, we are Genin. It's simply not possible at our skill level."

"Way to go to boost her confidence, Mr. Ray of Sunshine." TenTen laughed at Naruto's remark, and Neji narrowed his eyes. He snorted and walked off. "Such a charmer. Don't know what you see in him, TenTen."

She blushed. "Hey! I only said he was handsome!"

"Right. The stoic and sulky attitude has nothing with it. At least you're a capable kunoichi as female shinobi should be."

She nodded. "I believe that kunoichi can be as strong as any male ninja."

Naruto nodded. "Except in the area of physical strength, but girls are usually more flexible than guys."

In some bar, a blonde-haired, big-breasted woman felt as if she had been insulted and needed to prove something by punching something very, very hard. And that opportunity came when one drunken patron tried to grope her.

"**SHANAROO!**"

Back in Konoha, Naruto shivered. '_Why do I feel that I was terribly, terribly wrong?'_ TenTen was shaking her head at his statement.

"Apparently, you've never heard of Lady Tsunade's Monster Strength," she said, and Naruto felt that wrong feeling suddenly had a place. "She would send full grown ninja flying with a poke from her finger. I wanna be like her, strong and independent."

"A good goal. Most girls that I've meet want to be the object of their crush, and they try _anything_ to be it. Only two including you haven't been that way."

"Who's the other?"

Naruto blushed and stuttered, "A-anyway, shall we move on to training?"

TenTen noticed the change in the subject. "What? Is it your crush?"

"Shut up!"

"C'mon tell me."

"No."

"You know my crush, so now tell me yours."

"…Dammit…," He took a deep breath, and muttered, "Hinata Hyuuga."

TenTen was silent for a second, and then she threw her head back and laughed. "What's so funny?" demanded the blonde.

"It's just that-that we're both suckers for Hyuugas!"

Naruto slowly counted to ten before saying, "Training, shall we?" TenTen nodded and wiped her eyes. Naruto created ten clones and told them to follow the kunoichi's orders. He then went over to where he had taken off the weights. He picked them up and fastened them to his calves. '_Twenty-five pounds on each leg, fifty pounds total. About fifty percent of my weight and when taken off about the same percentage increase in my speed. Not bad.'_

"Got one!" shouted TenTen.

"I know." The blonde had felt the memories coming in.

"What? How?"

"As a clone is destroyed or dispelled, its memories are received by the creator. This, however, only works with the Shadow Clone Jutsu though I'm not sure. What I've deduced from that quality is that this jutsu was originally used for reconnaissance purposes as it doesn't put the user in danger. In turn, it drains a large amount of chakra."

"You can create twenty clones in a snap. How's that large?"

"My reserves are level with a Tokubetsu Jonin's or even the Hokage's. The jutsu does not take away much from me."

"Sheesh. How many can you create at once without feeling it?"

"About five hundred." TenTen's jaw hit the ground. "Yeah, I know."

After she had recovered, TenTen said, "Well, I guess I don't need to worry about you. A chakra tank…," The blonde grinned and began his training regimen: twenty laps around the clearing, fifty pushups and sit-ups, ten laps, twenty-five pull-ups on a treebranch, another set of ten laps, a set of twenty-five pull-ups, sit-ups, and pushups. He repeated this until TenTen dispelled his clones with a final cry of joy. He stopped, panting, and created ten more clones. She thanked him and both continued their training.

It was sunset when Naruto and TenTen agreed to stop. Naruto was gasping for air as this session had been longer than any other, and TenTen was grinning at her drastic improvement in accuracy. "Hell yeah! Out of ten moving targets, I can hit nine! Just a little more for perfection!" Naruto nodded, and she ruffled his hair again. "Thanks for the help." She left. Naruto straightened his hair and soon followed her, grinning. This was going to be a great team, hopefully.

At the Hokage Tower, the Jonins charged with the care of Genin squads were assembled in the main hall with the Hokage and his advisors sitting at a table in front of them. The Hokage stood and said, "Will the Jonin state whether or not your team has passed?"

"Team 5 failed."

"Team 6 passed," reported an irritated but somehow pleased-looking Anko.

"Team 7 failed."

Team 8 failed."

Team 9 passed," said Guy. "All of them show-,"

"Yes, Guy. We know. Go on, Hisu," interrupted the Hokage.

"Team 10 failed, Hokage-sama." The old man nodded. Six out of eighteen had passed. Thirty-three percent. He smiled slightly at that.

"That will be all. You are dismissed."

**Probably not one of my best. (Sigh) Anyway, for those wondering about Mizuki, that incident will play an important role later. And Guy will be able to perform Jutsu, it's just he sucks at it. Hmm, next is a training chapter. Probably not long. Hmm, anyway, toodles! (Edit) I redid the ending a bit. The other ending was lame at best. This is a little better.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Not long, my foot. (Sigh) Training take a lot more detail than I thought, and even then I don't think I covered everything. Anyways, hope you like the chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Yay.**

**_Chapter 3_**

Naruto woke up about five-thirty in the morning to the scream of his alarm clock. He groaned and slammed the snooze button, which silenced it. He lay there for a few seconds, trying to mentally chase away the last vestiges of sleep, and slowly got out of bed. '_Six in the morning. Why the hell did sensei have to do this? Well, no use in complaining about it now.'_

The sun had begun to rise when Naruto headed out to the Training Ground at about a quarter till six. He double-timed it to the location, even considering taking off his weights but quickly discarding the idea. He arrived about a minute left with both of his teammates waiting there for him. Neji was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, but opened them when Naruto neared. TenTen was sitting on the ground with her back against a tree beside Neji, sleeping and even snoring lightly. Naruto considered scaring her, but crossed that out due to her almost unerring accuracy. She might hit something rather important.

The blonde walked over to the space between Neji and TenTen and sat, knowing it wouldn't be long until Guy would arrive. And he wasn't wrong. The man arrived at six on the dot, flashing his signature grin at them. "Hello, comrades! Today we shall use our Power of Youth and train until our heart gives up!"

TenTen snorted and looked up blearily at her sensei's words, and Naruto looked horrified. "I hope you don't actually mean that?" he asked.

"Of course not. But we will train until our legs give out!"

Neji snorted softly. '_Why does our sensei have to be an idiot?_'

TenTen stood and yawned. "When do we start? I hope not now. It's too early."

"Of course we're going to start now, TenTen! It's the perfect time! Now, fifty laps around the village! Go!" The trio didn't budge, all choosing to look at Guy like he had grown a second head.

"F-f-fifty!?" demanded TenTen, "Are you trying to kill us?" Naruto scowled and crossed his arms, and Neji mirrored him.

"Isn't that a bit much, sensei? We're only Genin. Maybe five or ten would do," argued the blonde logically.

Guy seemed to consider his words, but then grinned at them. "But you gotta run before you can walk! Fifty laps, go!" They still didn't move a muscle. Guy kept his grin as he pulled out three jumpsuits and waggled his gigantic eyebrows. "If you don't, you will wear this for the rest of the day!" And in an instant, the three were gone.

Naruto swore as he tripped over a rock, and ahead of him, TenTen laughed. Neji's back was to him, but Naruto could feel disapproving waves rolling off of him. '_Damn it, I don't want to go any faster due to the fact I'll tire out, but now my competitive side is kicking in. I really want to take off the weights, but then that would negate the effectiveness of taking them off in battle. Argh!...Don't take them off. Those two don't have as much stamina as I do. They'll fall behind eventually.'_

And right he was. On about the fifth lap, he started to close in on TenTen, who by now was panting. On the next he passed her. Later on the tenth, he closed in on and overtook Neji. The blonde resisted the urge to throw insults over his shoulder at them as he did so. Eventually, about three hours later, Naruto finished with Neji behind about a quarter of a lap and TenTen a full lap.

He arrived at the clearing as he finished. Guy was waiting there, and the man grinned at the boy who was gasping for breath. "Walk it off." Naruto nodded and paced as he waited for his teammates. As he did so, he began to think about the other team, Team 6, the most notable team. '_Wonder if they passed. I really don't know that Anko lady, but she seemed like she had few screws loose. Let's see…if they could've banded together there is a possibility of them passing. Hell, my team did and I don't really like Neji and vice-versa. Most likely: they passed. Though I need to be for sure.'_

A rustle announced Neji's arrival, and the panting Hyuuga received the same advice from Guy that Naruto had been given. Neji simply chose to lean against a tree, his breathing slowing as he recovered. TenTen stumbled into the clearing about twenty minutes later and fell on her stomach to the ground. Guy moved to help her, but she growled at him. "That…was the…most exhausting…workout I've ever…gotten," she breathed, rolling over.

"And there's more!" said Guy enthusiastically, earning a terrified look from TenTen, a snort from Neji, and a sigh from Naruto.

"More!? Are you nuts or something?" shouted TenTen.

"Nope. One-hundred pushup, sit-ups, and pull-ups! Go!" Naruto, predictably, was the first finished. He did this kind of workout on every day of the week minus extreme number of laps; this was nothing and he used it to recover from the run. Neji finished twenty minutes behind him, and TenTen ten minutes after the Hyuuga. Naruto's teammates were panting, and TenTen complained about her sore arms.

"What?" said Naruto, "Complaining like one of those fangirls, are you?"

TenTen glared at him. "If I had enough energy, I'd clobber you for that, but today I'll let it slide."

"Doubt you could touch me anyway," taunted Naruto, earning him a senbon in the arm. "OW! Dammit, that stings!"

"Now, now," soothed Guy, "We'll move on to the more specific training now."

"More of 'training'?" asked TenTen sarcastically.

Neji, however, asked, "What do you mean, 'specific'?" Instead of answering, Guy created two clones, solid ones by the shadow they created. One stood near Neij and other near TenTen.

"Each of you will be trained by my clones. Naruto, you will be with me."

**_Naruto_**

"So, sensei, what do you have planned?" asked Naruto as his teammates walked off with their assigned clone.

"First, I want to analyze your fighting style thoroughly. I'll move on from there." Guy shifted into his combat stance and beckoned Naruto forward. Naruto nodded and crouched down with his forearms crossed in front of his face, his own invented and almost instinctual stance. Guy frowned slightly; that was an unusual stance. It was almost…feral.

Naruto exploded from the spot, charging the Jonin. Guy shifted his weight to his back leg in anticipation of a frontal attack as the blonde neared. He was right, mostly. Naruto jabbed at Guy's gut while simultaneously kicking from the side at the same place. Guy blocked the punch and sensed the kick, and crouched to dodge it. He swept Naruto's legs out from under him, and the blonde caught himself easily by landing on his hands and flipping backwards. He ran and tried to land a spinning kick on Guy, who caught his leg and threw him to the side. The Jonin grinned; for a kid with no official training, his taijutsu was crafty.

Naruto crashed into a tree, and slowly stood. He frowned. The blonde was sorely tempted to use shadow clones, but knew inwardly that would be cheating even if Guy could take on an entire army. He rushed the Jonin again and, as he neared, dropped into a sliding kick intended to trip up the Jonin. It didn't work of course; Guy simply stepped to the side to avoid it. As he slid by, however, Naruto pushed upward with his arms and attempted a kick much like the one he had landed on the Chunin in the Exams. Unfortunately, Guy was Jonin _and_ a taijutsu specialist, and so he avoided the blow by tilting his head back slightly.

Naruto flipped away again and paused. This was a useless endeavor. Maybe Guy would allow weapons…To test it, the blonde slowly pulled out shuriken from his leg holster. Upon seeing no objection on Guy's part, Naruto threw them at the ground around the man, making sure they were close enough to look like he actually tried to hit him. He cursed and faked a stomp of his foot, faking anger. The blonde saw Guy smile sympathetically, and he glared at him.

Naruto charged him again, a roar escaping him as he jumped up and reattempted another spinning kick. The Jonin moved to catch it, but instead of grabbing a leg, he felt something hard and cold: a shuriken. '_What?'_ Naruto reappeared at a spot to the right of Guy where a shuriken had landed and sent a sweeping kick at his legs. Guy, caught off guard, went down, and the blonde followed up by trying to punch the Jonin in the gut, but he rolled and came up kneeling.

Naruto moved to rush Guy again, but he held up his hand. "That's enough. I've seen what you can do, and I'm impressed. Your tai could easily give an experienced Chunin trouble. There is no exact style to it, is there?" he inquired.

Naruto shook his head. "I tend to imitate and incorporate moves from other styles that I've seen. It's a bit unpredictable but very sloppy. Anyone with an actual style could easily take me out in a pure taijutsu battle."

Guy grinned. "I take it you don't like to reserve to pure tai?"

"No. You saw the shuriken."

Guy nodded and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What jutsu do you know?"

"No much. Shadow Clone, Transformation, and Substitution, that's about it."

"I was going to ask you: How did you get ahold of an A-rank kinjutsu? The Forbidden Scroll is always locked up in the Hokage Tower."

Naruto went rigid. Damn. Even though he had known that people would eventually notice, he still was reluctant to explain. "Well, you see…" The blonde told the story of failing, seeing Kakashi and the odd clone, and the whole library scandal. After he had finished, Naruto looked fearfully at Guy. "Please don't turn me in. I was just trying to pass," he pleaded.

Inwardly, Guy was impressed. This kid was good at subterfuge. He smiled softly. "No, I'm not going to have you arrested though I might inform the ANBU about the librarian. A copy of the Forbidden Scroll is outrageously illegal. And this explains what happened that night..." Guy trailed off, chuckling.

"Huh?"

"Let's just say the man you transformed into had a girlfriend in the ANBU."

"…Oh…is he alright?"

"Yeah, just a limp, but now one more question: How do you know about the Shadow Clone Jutsu's memory transfer?"

"How do you know that I know about it?" Guy glared at him, and Naruto sighed. "One day, I was sneaking in the library and had a clone off searching somewhere for a good book. On the way back, it tripped and banged its head on a bookcase, dispelling it. I felt the transfer and knew where the book was, but at the time couldn't explain why. Later, I guessed and tested it and found out about that aspect of the jutsu. I mainly use it to look for things or to scout."

"It was designed to be a reconnaissance jutsu," stated Guy, and the blonde nodded.

"Pretty much guessed that, and now I'm going to guess you knew that I knew because I didn't overload you with clones?"

Guy nodded. "I would have expected a legion from someone who could create a lot of them. Instead, you only sent ten and only had them fight one-on-one with me. Each time they dispelled, I noticed the next would be harder. I deducted that you were aware of the memory aspect and using it to your advantage. I was indeed correct." He shook his head slightly. "Anyway, back to business. I'm guessing you used Substitution to switch places with the shuriken?"

"Yes, sensei."

"…You're cunning. You know that, right?"

Naruto smiled wickedly. "I haven't been told that until today. Most people call me 'troublesome'."

Guy nodded. "I've heard about your exploits. Though it seems you've grown out of that. Now, onto training. I want you to learn an actual style of fighting first of all. That will make your tai much more effective."

The blonde nodded. "What are you going to teach me?"

"A way of fighting that I am a true master at: Iron Fist. The primary way of dealing damage using it is breaking bones and injuring internal organs. It utilizes the user's speed and strength and is a very up-close and personal style." He paused. "I saw during the fight yesterday that you had weights on. How much do they weigh?"

"Twenty-five pounds on each leg."

"Make it one hundred tomorrow."

"What!?"

"It's the only way to become faster. You have to keep pushing yourself."

"I would be quadrupling the weight, you know. I'll be dragging my legs all over the village."

"But's that how you get better. Now just wear that weight until you are your current speed, and then quadruple it again."

"You're going to kill me," said Naruto dryly.

"Nonsense! This is simply extreme training!"

"Right. Let's move on to my training shall we?"

"Oh. Right. Okay, first, let's start with the stance…"

**_TenTen_**

TenTen and the clone walked off into a group of trees about a hundred feet away from the original, and the clone began, "Okay, I take it you're weapons specialist?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Alright, from what I saw from the fight, you are inaccurate with moving targets. Using blunted weapons because I am a clone, I want you to try to hit me."

TenTen snorted. "That so worked out yesterday." Even though she had trained with Naruto's clones the day before, Guy was much quicker and agile. She would be lucky to even graze him. She quickly threw three senbon in its direction, which sidestepped them. The clone leaped in the air and onto the trunk of a tree. It then started to jump to each tree trunk, never staying on it longer than a second. TenTen continued to launch senbon at it, but they would hit the trunk the clone had landed previously.

'_I need to track him. Predict and then lead a senbon to the spot he'll land next.'_ She calmed her breathing and followed the blurring clone with her eyes. Slowly, the pattern began to show, and the clone seemed to slow as she reached for a senbon. She led the clone, predicted its next move, and threw the senbon.

With a knock, it hit a spot about an inch away from the clone. '_Damn! So close!'_ She calmed again and analyzed the pattern again. '_A little bit faster than what I thought. A few minor adjustments.'_ She repeated the process of leading, predicting, and throwing the senbon. This time, it hit the clone in the shoulder, causing it to loose balance and fall from the tree. It landed perfectly on the ground and turned to grin at TenTen.

"Good shot! But you have to keep at it! We're going to go at this until the aiming process is instinctual."

"That may take weeks!" she argued.

"I have a feeling that it may only take a few days." With that, the clone was bouncing off tree trunks again with TenTen hitting it every two attempts. After about an hour and a half, the clone jumped back to the ground. "Well done. Your accuracy has improved." TenTen grinned at the clone. During the last thirty minutes, she had been hitting the clone about nine out of ten times; she herself was surprised by her rapid improvement.

"Now let's move on to-,"

"Erm, sensei?"

"Yes, TenTen?"

"Do you know anything about the bo staff?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I want to be a weapons mistress, so it's my intention to be well-versed in all types of weapons, be it close- or long-ranged. Plus right now all the weapons that I know how to use proficiently are ranged weapons, so this will be a nice start to melee ones."

The clone nodded. "The original knows how to fight using a bo staff, and therefore so do I. I was planning on improving on your taijutsu, but using weapons is just fine. Though you might want to find someone else for the more complicated weapons. I know only how to use tonfas and the bo staff."

"Alright!" She pulled out a scroll and unsealed a staff about five and a half feet long which she grabbed and held it touching the ground at a perpendicular angle.

The clone nodded to itself. "That's the at-ease stance, meaning you don't wish to attack. What else do you know?"

"I don't know anything else. It just comes naturally," she replied, shifting her grip on the staff. She now held it in both hands parallel to the ground.

"That's the combat stance," said the clone, tapping its chin. It seemed to ponder something before taking off its leg warmers and pulling out black cylinders which the clone linked together to make a staff about six and a half feet long. Then it adopted the same stance TenTen was in. "I'm interested if you can defend yourself using the bo staff without any training," It grinned, "In short, bring it on."

She grinned back and swung with the staff, extending her reach by letting with one hand and reaching her arm as far as she could. The clone blocked it and attempted to disarm TenTen by using her weakened grip to his advantage, but she had already made the full swing and brought the staff around to grab in both hands. Guy made a movement for an overhead strike, and TenTen prepared to block it only to be lightly tapped in the side by Guy. "If this had been real, you would have been thrown sideways and several of your organs would've been ruptured," said the clone, shifting back into the combat stance as did TenTen.

She jabbed with the right side of her staff, which it blocked, and tried a sweeping motion at the clone only for it to jump over her staff and tap its staff on her head. "Dead." She growled in the back of her throat and then jumped to imitate the clone's move. The strike was blocked easily, but she followed up with two alternating jabs, the last of which grazed the clone's side. "Hey now! If you destroy me, the original will be hard-pressed to make another clone!"

"Sorry, but not really." She swung one-handed again, and this time the clone disarmed her with a well-placed smack on the staff. Her staff clattered to the ground, and the clone placed its foot on it.

"That move you used is powerful, but very risky. As you see, your grip is weakened, opening yourself up to disarming. Though if you do manage to hit, the results can be serious for the opponent," pointed out the clone, kicking TenTen's staff back to her. "I admit your skill with the staff is advanced for someone with no experience with the staff. You could take down a few bandits if needed, but we're still going to train."

TenTen picked up the staff and held at-ease. "So what are we going to do first?"

"Well, since you have the stances down, I might show a few complicated moves like…"

**_Neji_**

The two walked into another nearby clearing, and the clone turned to face Neji. "Alright, now we're going to start by-,"

"Sensei, I want to ask a question," cut in Neji.

The clone frowned. "Yes?"

"I am a Hyuuga. How exactly can you give me specific training when you cannot perform Gentle Fist techniques yourself?"

It sighed. The original had been expecting this. "I am a taijutsu expert. Even though I don't have the Byakugan-," this earned him a surprised look from Neji, "Yes, I know about the Hyuuga Kekkei Genkai, and even though I don't have it, I can still learn what the stances are and how the style is supposed to be used. I simply cannot utilize it to its full purpose. Now, for actual in-depth training, I would consult an actual Hyuuga, but you have to do that on your own time. I will simply keep your skills sharp during our personal training."

The clone shifted into a fighting stance. "Now, I want to measure your skill at Gentle Fist. From yesterday, I can see that you are proficient, but now is the time to make a more detailed analysis." Neji nodded and adopted his stance: weight focused on the right foot which was in front of the left, right arm full extended in front of him with fingers and palm skyward, left arm bent with the hand tucked near the waist parallel with the ground, and both legs bent slightly.

"And one more thing," piped up the clone, "Don't use chakra in your strikes, and try not to hit me that hard. I'll dispel if you do." The Hyuuga nodded and closed his eyes. After a second, they whipped open with veins popping out around them and a faint pupil developing in the center of each eye. The Byakugan.

Neji darted towards the clone and performed a series of quick jabs with paired index and middle fingers, all of which were dodged. He tried to follow up with a quick kick and a palm strike to the chest, but the clone simply seemed to dance out of the way. Neji narrowed his eyes but continued to jab at the clone, making no progress whatsoever. '_This is pointless,'_ thought Neji after five full minutes of hitting nothing but air. The clone was simply too quick. Knowing to at least land a single blow, Neji focused chakra to his right foot to ready himself.

When the clone backed away, the Hyuuga released the stored chakra, causing him to bolt forward and take it by surprise. He focused his Byakugan on the clone and saw its chakra network. "**Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms**!" shouted Neji, striking the clone.

"Two!"

"Four!"

"Eight!"

"Sixteen!"

"Thirty-two palms!" The clone slid back slightly but did not dispel as Neji had not injected chakra into its system or had hit hard enough. It smirked at the Hyuuga and settled back into its stance. Neji kept his face blank as he backed away, moving back into Gentle Fist. The two slowly circled each other, waiting for other to attack.

The clone broke the circle by charging Neji, fists at the ready. Neji shifted his weight to his left foot to intercept the strikes. The clone threw several jabs and hooks at the Hyuuga, but each were deflected by Neji's palm. After a rather powerful left hook which rattled Neji slightly, it seemed to lose its balance. He smirked as he lightly hit the clone's chest. The clone flipped backward and clutched the spot that had been hit.

"Alright. Fight over," said the clone. Neji relaxed and stood straight.

"Well?" he asked.

"I can see why they call you a prodigy. Able to master the stepping stone for Sixty-Four Palms at such an age…impressive. Give it ten years, and you might equal Hiashi-sama."

Neji's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Hyuuga patriarch, but he said nothing. '_It is by luck that I learned that. The Main Family doesn't share its secrets with us lowly Side members,'_ he thought venomously. '_If I'm caught…'_

"Well," said the clone, disrupting Neji's thoughts, "Your form is near-flawless, but I saw a few things out of place. Mind you, I might not be able to fix them, but I'll do my best. Okay, assume the stance again…"

The entire team regrouped after about three hours. Naruto was panting; he had mastered the stance for Iron Fist, but the style of fighting was exhausting to keep up even for a stamina monster like him. Both Neji and TenTen were breathing lightly. Guy's clone had pointed out errors in the Hyuuga's form which the prodigy had easily corrected. TenTen had picked up the staff techniques naturally, but the clone still bested her as she had several bruises to show for it.

"Alright, team!" began Guy after dispelling the clones, "Same time, same place tomorrow!" Neji and TenTen nodded and walked off, leaving Naruto behind.

The blonde opened his mouth to ask something but was cut off by "GUY-SENSEI!"

'_Hell.'_ Lee landed in front of the blonde with his back to him and saluted the Jonin.

"Reporting, sir!"

"How did your training go?"

"Anko-sensei had us fight against her summon as a team, and then she made clones to tutor us individually. She even gave me a new weapon!" The boy pulled from his waist holster a pair of spiked knuckles. "Anko-sensei said that this would not stop my development in taijutsu, but instead augment it!" Guy nodded, liking the Snake Mistress's approach.

Naruto frowned. '_She's training with clones too?... I guess because each member had their own specific skill set so it would be difficult to teach them a single thing. Our team is the has his clan's style, I have Iron Fist, and TenTen has weapons. Totally different approaches to each of us. That's the downside to having clan or experienced students: their minds aren't flexible like civilian ninja.'_

"That's good, Lee," said Guy, breaking Naruto's concentration, "Now let's-,"

"Umm, Guy-sensei?" interrupted Naruto. Both turned to look at the blonde. "I was going to ask if you could give me extra training, but if you're occupied-,"

"Nonsense! I can train you and Lee at the same time, but," he pulled out a green jumpsuit, "You have to wear this!" He waved it merrily.

"C'mon, sensei! What's with the jumpsuit? It's ridiculous!"

"It is not ridiculous!" argued Lee, "It is the representation of our power and spirit!"

"Riiight. A tight green jumpsuit." The blonde rolled his eyes. "Look, sensei, I want to train with you, but if you threaten me with that thing I'll have to forget the whole thing."

Guy sighed and put the suit away. "Alright. At least I have two pupils instead of one. I can finally show you the Power of Youth!"

"Nor will you threaten to indoctrinate me," said Naruto flatly, and Guy's shoulders slumped.

It was sunset when the training was finished, and Naruto lay on the ground, huffing. '_God. Those two don't play games.'_ He rubbed several bruises and scrapes. '_Both seem to be tireless even with the demanding effort of their taijutsu, and their bones are damn near unbreakable. They can pummel each other for hours and not receive a single bruise or broken bone. I, on the other hand, nearly broke my femur from Lee's kick. That would've been fatal or crippling.'_

He sat up painfully, and Lee, who stood off to his right, offered him a hand. "Thanks, Lee," thanked Naruto as he stood.

Lee gave him a puzzled look. "How do you know my name?" They hadn't introduced themselves at the first of the training.

Naruto blinked but replied without hesitation, "At the Genin Exams, they announced 'Rock Lee' and you went into the room, so I assumed your name was Lee." He shrugged noncommittally.

"Oh. Well, what is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san."

"Likewise." A thought occurred to the blonde. "Hey, Lee. Do you know any ninjutsu?"

"I do not. I am not capable of performing the simplest of jutsu."

"What? How'd you pass the Exams?"

"They altered it for me. I was instead given a more difficult taijutsu portion in place of ninjutsu."

"That's…different." '_That's really gonna limit him when trying to work up in the shinobi ranks. Even Guy-sensei knows jutsu even though he never uses them. I wish him good luck,'_ thought Naruto. He rolled his sore neck and waved goodbye as he walked back toward the village. '_Good God, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Plus I've got to put more weight on. Damn.'_

He turned a corner and smelled ramen, the aroma coming from Ichiraku. The small stand had always been his favorite and still was. He parted the flaps and sat down wearily, not even noticing his neighbor.

"Hey, Naruto. How'd your first real day of training go?" asked Iruka, causing Naruto to jump.

The blonde glared at the Chunin. "There were two tests. The second was never mentioned."

With a smile, he replied, "'A shinobi must expect the unexpected.'"

"I hate platitudes sometimes," remarked Naruto, setting his hand on the table.

A pretty brown-haired girl came to where he sat. "Hey, Naruto-kun! The usual?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ayame-nee."

Ayame looked at Iruka, who ordered a miso ramen.

After a minute, Naruto said, "And to answer your question, it was exhausting. Guy-sensei is teaching me Iron Fist, and I probably just trained about twelve hours with only one break or so. Tomorrow is going to be the same I guess." His head fell forward, mashing his face into the table.

Ayame came to their spot with the food and put it down in front of them. She looked worriedly at the blonde. "Naruto-kun? You alright?" He muttered something unintelligible, and Iruka nudged him.

"Hey, the food's here." Naruto sat bolt-straight and blinked dizzily before laying his eyes on the ramen in front of him. Taking a pair of chopsticks, he dove into the bowl. Iruka chuckled. "He'll be okay. Just a bit tired I think." Ayame giggled and went off to take the orders of other customers.

Iruka started to eat his own ramen bowl, but was rudely interrupted by, "Hey! Can you make about ten more bowls?" Iruka raised an eyebrow at the blonde who grinned at him. "I'm feeling better with food in me!"

"Obviously." Soon, three bowls were set in front of Naruto, who swiftly devoured all of them.

Iruka shook his head. "I don't know how you grow so much yet eat only ramen."

Naruto halted in his eating and glanced at the Chunin. He pushed the bowl towards him as answer. In the noodles were vegetables and meat, delivering most of the nutrients for the body. However, Iruka looked back at Naruto. "Fruit?"

The blonde grinned and shouted, "Ayame-nee! Can I get my usual drink?" She shouted back an affirmative and brought two glasses of apple juice which were quickly drained before he started back on the ramen. Iruka was impressed; the blonde had everything planned out.

The two ate in silence until Iruka finished his one bowl and Naruto his ten. The blonde leaned back and sighed comfortably as he finished. "That was good."

Iruka nodded. "So," he began, "Guy's teaching you Iron Fist, hmm?"

"Yeah. I don't really have a concrete style while in the Academy, and he wants to change that. He nearly made me wear that god-forsaken jumpsuit." He shivered. "I talked him out of it."

"That would've been quite a sight," commented the Chunin, amused.

"If you had laughed…" Naruto shook his fist at him, and Iruka chuckled.

"Do you know what he's doing with your teammates?"

"No. He made shadow clones and taught the others separately."

Iruka frowned. "That's strange. My Jonin sensei taught my squad all together. We all learned the same thing-,"

"Was your team composed entirely of Genin with civilian backgrounds?" asked Naruto.

"Yes. What's that-,"

"Then that's your answer."

"How?" demanded Iruka, not seeing the reason.

"Civilian ninja are flexible to work with, not having any prior training. However, one of my team is a Hyuuga and the other trains with only weapons. The only one that is flexible is myself; the others need specific training for their abilities."

Iruka was silent, digesting the information and finding no apparent holes. "Who are your teammates?" he asked curiously.

"Neji Hyuuga and TenTen Jinta."

"Ah. The prodigy and weapons mistress. I've heard about them."

"The prodigy? That explains everything…" Naruto trailed off, mumbling. Iruka frowned but decided not to ask. A few minutes later, the blonde asked, "What did you learn as a Genin?"

"Eh…jutsu."

The blonde snorted. "Nah, you learned how to knit and how to bake a cake," he said sarcastically.

"I really can't remember…wait, I learned echolocation."

Naruto deadpanned at this. "You gotta be kidding."

"Nope. Out of the three of us, I was the only one to pick it up successfully."

"Your parents aptly named you, looks like." Iruka stiffened slightly at the mention of his parents, and Naruto noticed it. "What?"

"It's-it's nothing." Naruto frowned but decided not to pursue the subject; it was sensitive to the man. The mood was tense until Teuchi came around and announced it was closing time. The two exited the stand after paying, and the blonde turned to face Iruka.

"Do you think we could meet here every day?" he asked. "It's been nice talking with you."

Iruka shrugged. "Depends. Sometimes my teaching duties are hectic, but I could be here by…," he furrowed his brow, " seven or seven-thirty. But if I don't show, it's just because of my job." He yawned.

"So yeah?"

"Yeah."

With that, Naruto grinned. "Be seeing you tomorrow!" He was off in an instant. Iruka chuckled. That kid had too much energy.

**Well, that's done. For those who don't know, the last chapter was edited. The last part was changed, and that's about it. If Guy was a bit off, oh well, he needed to be a bit more serious. As for the clone training, Naruto hasn't thought about using it for training yet. And he won't. Someone will tell him. Toodles.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, thanks for the reviews. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Whoop-dee-doo.**

**_Chapter 4_**

About two weeks later, Guy had them spar together as training. Over the course of these two weeks, Naruto had trained relentlessly with Guy and Lee, bettering his strength, stamina, and Iron Fist form. He still wore the total of two hundred pounds worth of weights, but this day he was moving normally. The next day he would double it. He still ate with Iruka, who laughed at stories about Guy and Lee.

TenTen could now instinctually aim and fire any kind of projectile, hitting the clone every time. With the staff, she could hold off Guy but not attack as that would create openings for him to take the advantage. The spars would usually end with TenTen giving out to exhaustion even though she had considerably more thanks to the workout they did every morning.

Neji hadn't learned any new Gentle Fist techniques as of yet, but he had set his sights on perfecting **Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms**. The clone would advise him on errors in his fighting form which were becoming rarer and rarer. He too had gained a respectable amount of endurance from the workout. Neji knew this would help him later as it was tiring when the user utilized chakra to shut down the chakra network.

After the workout that day, the three were less tired but still feeling the effects of it. TenTen leaned against a tree as she felt her legs go rubbery, and Naruto paced to keep his muscles warm. Instead of creating the clones as he usually did, Guy spread out his hands in a sweeping gesture.

"Today, team, is the day for sparring!" he announced, grinning down at them. TenTen and Naruto exchanged glances, and Neji kept his stoic demeanor. Naruto wasn't really worried about not doing well; he probably wouldn't win against Neji, but he had a chance against TenTen. Plus this was a chance to test out Iron Fist on a non-user. At his chances against Neji, he shrugged inwardly; he'd give the Hyuuga hell before he eventually lost.

TenTen was nervous. Out of the group, she was probably the weakest, not out of lack of skill but because either boy was the top of their class, or so she assumed with Naruto. Neji could easily overpower her if he got close and Naruto could do the same but would be able to close in subtly. She would have to keep her distance and be aware of any trickery from the blonde.

Guy held up a fist with three straws in it. "Each of you takes one straw." Naruto frowned and then cursed when he drew a short one. Neji drew a long straw, earning a glare from the blonde, and TenTen picked the last one, a medium-sized one. "Alright. Neji, you get a break today-,"

"That gives him an unfair advantage, Guy-sensei," stated Naruto coolly even though he wanted to swear many colorful words, "If he gets a break between battles and his opponent does not, it is not a true spar."

Guy shrugged. "Sometimes that happens. Not all ninjas are 'nice guys'."

"True, but this is a spar, not a real-life combat situation-,"

"Well now it is. Alright, let's start the combat situation," said Guy irritably. "Fight order: Neji versus TenTen, Naruto versus TenTen, and Neji versus Naruto."

Neji went to one edge of the clearing, and TenTen to the other. Neji kept his cool manner as TenTen looked increasingly nervous. Guy glanced between the two, noting TenTen's anxiety. '_That's the first sign of a lost cause.'_ "Begin!"

The weapons mistress quickly pulled out a scroll and unfurled it, shooting out of it several kunai and shuriken. Neji jumped to the left and darted toward her. She threw senbon toward him, but he simply started a zigzagging pattern, each of the projectiles whizzing by him. She backed up as he neared, throwing every kind of weapon she could pull out of her scrolls.

Sidelines:

Naruto cheered on TenTen. "C'mon! Stick it to him!" After the veritable shower of weapons, "Sheesh, where the hell does she keep all of them? Holsters can't keep that many. The scrolls? Maybe…"

"She's using storage seals," said Guy, "Fuinjutsu."

"TenTen mentioned that the day after the Exams…The Uzumaki clan was skilled in it. What _is _fuinjutsu exactly?" he asked.

"The art of making and using seals. There are many different types of seals, but TenTen uses only storage and I would guess explosive. Others can be…" Guy looked up, thinking, "Actually, there are limitless possibilities, according to my little experience of the art. To really understand it, you'd have to ask someone else."

Naruto nodded, and after a pause, "Can you tell me anything about the Uzumaki clan?"

Guy looked at him oddly, "They didn't teach it in the Academy?"

"Don't know. Probably did, and TenTen told me a little about it. Can you tell me more?"

"Sure. The Uzumaki clan-odd coincidence with your name- was highly skilled in fuinjutsu. They were feared by their enemies and their allies were thankful of escaping their wrath. Konoha was one of their allies, and the Senju-,"

"Senju?"

"One of the two founding clans of Konoha, the other being the Uchiha clan."

"Great. Sasuke's part of some great clan…All the more reason to be an asshole," mumbled Naruto. "You were saying, sensei?" he asked in a louder voice.

"The Senju were distant blood relatives of the Uzumakis, making the alliance all the more stronger. Also, the Uzumaki clan acted as the midwife of the parent clans, ensuring an unbreakable bond."

"Midwife? That makes them sound…weak."

"Wrong. The midwife in a birth is a key person, and the offspring could die if not birthed without aid," explained Guy, "The Uzumakis supported the two clans throughout the peacetime after the First Shinobi War, and then fought on their side in all other wars until their downfall in the Third Shinobi War.

"Their downfall was tragic but inspiring," began Guy, "Iwa and Kumo had allied with each other to face a common threat: Uzu. Konoha was cut off from responding as they were tied up with Suna and Kiri. As Iwa and Kumo marched on the small village, Uzu made a last stand while trying to evacuate the civilians, elderly, and young. All of the capable Uzumakis stayed behind along with the ninja force. The ensuing battle went on for three days until the last man, the Uzukage Firuza Uzumaki, was killed. The total casualties for Iwa and Kumo: fifty thousand out of sixty thousand. Uzu: Five hundred."

Naruto was awe-struck. "Good God…That's a hundred losses to one. That's…incredible. What happened to the civilians and the other Uzumaki?"

"Hunted down. There were no survivors except for those outside of Uzu at the time, but unfortunately most have died now."

Battle:

TenTen was quickly running out of ammunition. She was at half-capacity with shuriken and that was the one in the highest number. She was close to using almost all of her senbon, and yet Neji refused to be hit. He constantly changed his pattern and would stop randomly, taking her by surprise. '_God, where did all the training go?' _She felt her breathing quicken and a cold sweat formed on her brow.

Sidelines:

"She needs to calm down," observed Naruto, "She's a great shot but nerves are really getting to her."

Guy nodded. "We practiced instinctual aiming for the past two weeks, and she can hit me no problem now, but she's anxious about facing Neji, top of the class after all."

"Him too? Are all geniuses arrogant?"

"Usually, until they have someone beat sense into them."

Battle:

Neji closed the distance between the two, within his and her striking range. TenTen frantically tried to flip backward but Neji struck her on the leg, causing it to deaden. She collapsed, but rolled away from any more hits. She stood shakily, testing her leg. It was regaining feeling quickly so she guessed he had not hit any vital nerve or pressure point. Neji narrowed his eyes at her as she rose and activated his Byakugan.

Sidelines:

"What the hell? His eyes…What's with the veins? And the weird pupil?"

"That's his Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan. It is specific to the Hyuuga clan, and is considered to be one of the Three Great Dojutsu."

Naruto frowned. Another missed lesson. "What does it do?"

"It gives the user a 360 degree view around them, the range being 50 meters. It also gives the user telescopic and X-ray vision, and he or she can train themselves to increase the range. The final ability is to see the chakra network and flow of chakra. Skilled holders of the Byakugan can manipulate the flow by using their signature style: Gentle Fist."

"Gentle Fist?"

"It is the opposite of the Iron Fist but is just as or even more dangerous than it. It utilizes chakra to close or open chakra pathways through tenketsu, tiny charka gateways essentially. If someone's chakra is sealed, the person cannot use jutsu and is usually incapacitated."

"Sheesh, no wonder TenTen wants to keep her distance…damn thing would difficult to beat, but not impossible…hmmm." Naruto sat and meditated, getting a puzzled frown from Guy. The Jonin began to ask what the blonde was doing, but then figured it out: he was strategizing against Neji.

Battle:

TenTen cringed as the Hyuuga activated his dojutsu, but unsealed her staff. '_Great, now it's over. Close range with Neji never works.'_ She shifted into the combat stance, and Neji settled into his own stance. She jabbed at Neji who sidestepped and darted at her. TenTen took several steps back and swiped at him, grazing his arms. She followed up with several jabs and whirls of the staff and finished by catching it and holding it in an odd fashion without realizing it.

She held the staff at a slight angle and her right hand was positioned near one end of the staff and the other holding it in the middle. Her legs were bent slightly, and her weight looked to be evenly distributed between her feet. [1]

Sidelines:

Guy's eyes widened. "That's an advanced stance for the staff. I'm surprised she picked it up naturally."

Naruto grinned, breaking his meditation to say one thing: "Kick his ass, TenTen!"

Battle:

The two circled cautiously, and TenTen marveled at the feel of her new stance. '_It feels natural, and the staff feels like it's a part of me now. This is…amazing.'_ Neji broke the circle and bolted toward her. She waited until he was in striking range and jumped up, bringing the staff down in a mighty strike. The Hyuuga seemed to be puzzled for a second, but then rolled away as the staff smashed into the spot he had been. She flicked her wrist and the staff seemed to move in two directions, the action confusing Neji before the weapon slammed into his side.

He slid back and glared at TenTen, who surprisingly matched him for it. He charged her and expected another midsection strike but instead felt his legs be swept from under him. She tried to hit him while he was defenseless with two quick overhead strikes, but he rolled away from those as well. He flipped up and watched her warily. She had never been a match for him up close, but now that had changed. The trick to defeating that staff would be getting uncomfortably close, but he thought it necessary as he readied for another charge.

Neji closed the distance quickly and anticipated a strike from the right which he deflected. He spun while moving forward to get close to her and struck a pressure point on her leg as she lashed out. She fell to one knee, but still swiped at his legs with her staff. He jumped to dodge it and struck her on the arms, and they fell numbly to her sides as her staff clattered to the ground. She was defenseless now, and TenTen knew it by the look of resignation and frustration on her face. "I forfeit."

Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes and saw the outcome, but Guy applauded her performance. Neji looked at her coldly and walked away without offering any help. TenTen rose unsteadily, and Naruto walked over and helped her up. She grimaced as she felt her bad leg take her body's weight but concluded it would be able to support her weight for the next battle as long as Naruto didn't hurry it up. Guy had a few words of advice and praise for her, however.

"TenTen, good work with the staff. The new stance you took surprised me; it's advanced and near the mastering level. However, you let nerves affect your aim. You have to calm down before a fight, even if you think you're going to lose," he said, causing TenTen to hang her head. "Don't worry. It's all a part of learning to get better. Nerves are simply an obstacle to overcome."

She nodded. "Thanks Guy-sensei." She picked up her staff and resealed it with the numbness fading from her arms. Naruto took position at one end of the clearing as did TenTen. The feeling in her leg was returning but not fast enough for her liking.

"Hey, TenTen," she looked at the concerned blonde, "Are you going to be fine for the spar?"

"I'm fine. No need to worry," said TenTen, hands nearing her holsters in anticipation. Naruto grinned and adopted the Iron Fist stance. However, there was one difference with his and Guy's; With Guy's, one fist was kept behind him, but Naruto had tucked the fist near his waist. Guy didn't know why Naruto chose to do this, but it was an acceptable stance.

The Jonin looked between the two and, seeing that they were ready, ordered, "Begin!"

TenTen started off by throwing several kunai in his direction, not really hoping to hit him but instead get him to jump, presenting her a perfect target. The blonde, however, did not and instead dodged to the right. He threw a few shuriken in a reply and gripped a kunai from his holster. The weapons mistress deflected the shuriken with a few of her own and shot the last of her senbon at Naruto.

He darted to the left but caught several in his arms. Naruto swore and pulled them out quickly, the ends now lightly painted with blood. He looked furiously at TenTen, who smirked. He created two clones and charged with them. TenTen pulled out a scroll and out from it shot her staff, catching the blonde by surprise. '_What the hell?'_ A clone caught the staff with its face and TenTen rushed forward and grabbed the staff and slammed it down on the other clone.

Sidelines:

"That was interesting move," said Neji, "Though it was a bit brazen."

Guy grinned. "It was smart. No one expects a staff to come barreling at them." Guy then frowned. "Who do you think is going to win?"

The Hyuuga shrugged; he didn't care, they were both below him.

Battle:

Naruto was momentarily stunned by the attack but recovered when he saw the staff slicing toward him. He parried it with his kunai which he holstered afterward. No need for that close-range. He jabbed at her and then attempted a sweeping kick at her legs. The punch was dodged and kick parried by her staff, which she swung at his head. He crouched and tried another sweeping kick which connected; however, as she fell, TenTen caught herself with one hand and used the other to strike at Naruto. She flipped back after the strike and landed away from him.

The staff had grazed his chest as he tilted back, and Naruto responded with a series of punches, rolls, and kicks, all which were dodged or blocked by TenTen. '_This is getting annoying,'_ he thought after narrowly dodging a retaliation strike from his opponent, '_I need to disarm her or something of the like. The staff is the key.' _ She jabbed at the blonde, who stepped to the side. 'How _to get it_ _is the problem.'_

He jumped backwards out of striking range and studied TenTen. She slid back into her stance and waited. '_Neji got in close to null the effect of the staff,'_ thought Naruto, '_I might try that though I doubt the same thing works twice. Hmm, a quick catch and pull of the staff might get her…'_ He rushed his opponent, who swung at his right side as soon as he was close enough. He blocked it with his forearm and grabbed it with his other hand, pulling her forward and off-balance. He raised a fist to hit her side, but she rolled between his legs and snatched her staff away from him.

Naruto leapt away, but TenTen charged him and jumped with the staff ready for a shattering blow. The blonde narrowed his eyes but waited. '_Same with the Chunin…no….not yet…'_ The whistling of the staff was getting louder.

Sidelines:

"Why isn't he moving?" said Guy to himself, worry etched on his face. "If he doesn't, she'll break his arm or something." Neji shrugged, the ever-present indifferent look on his face.

Battle:

Naruto sidestepped as the staff crashed to the ground next to him; he felt the wind coming off of it. He placed a foot on it and kicked out at the wielder, who released it and slid back. He grabbed the weapon and threw it behind him, and TenTen scowled angrily at him. "If you broke it, you bought it."

As he sped towards her, he smirked, "Don't worry. If I had wanted to break it, you would've seen me do it." At the last word, he jabbed at her. She dodged it and jumped over him in an attempt to retrieve her weapon. Naruto, however, caught her foot and threw her to the ground. She lay there, dazed, as Naruto grabbed her collar and winded back a fist. "Gotcha."

"Screw you too," she mumbled, "Two losses in one day." He smiled and let her go.

"Cheer up. Maybe in ten years or so will you be able to beat me."

"Ah, screw you some more."

"You are so original sometimes, TenTen."

Guy clapped once, bringing their attention to him. "Good work, both of you. TenTen: seems the nerves didn't get to you, but that may be because of your opponent." The Jonin grinned at Naruto, who glared back. "And Naruto: your technique was good even though it was pretty much useless against her staff. And I would advise to limit those waiting tricks. Only those who have the Sharingan or extremely fast reflexes can do them safely."

The blonde shrugged. "I have fast reflexes."

"Oh, do you?" Naruto jumped and whipped around to find Guy standing behind him. He looked at the Guy in front of him and watched it slowly fade. '_An afterimage…Sheesh, he's fast.'_

"Alright, I don't but I can still anticipate the other's moves. That counts."

Guy sighed. "Just don't do that anymore. Only if it's a last resort."

Naruto nodded and rubbed his arms where the senbon had struck him. He turned toward TenTen, who had gotten her staff. "Nice aim."

"Expect anything else?"

"Yeah. Thought you'd be nervous, or is Neji stronger than me?"

"That," she said, "will be decided in the next fight." Naruto grinned and looked at Neji. The Hyuuga eyed him coldly, trying to intimidate him. However, the blonde would have none of it.

"C'mon, teme. Quit giving me the evil-eye and take position."

TenTen frowned slightly. "What about your arms? The senbon?"

Naruto glanced at her and pulled up his sleeve. There were no signs that he had ever been struck by the needles, and her eyes widened. "I heal fast. Don't know why, but I'm thankful for it."

"Uzumaki-san, take position," said Neji with a slight mocking tone. He stood at one end of the clearing, arms crossed.

"Oh, you're finally ready, teme?"

"Do not call me that."

"I've got to have an asshole to call 'teme', and that's you, teme," taunted the blonde, walking to his end. Neji inhaled deeply to calm himself.

"You are going to regret ever calling me that," he threatened, adopting his stance and activating his dojutsu.

"I doubt it. I'm still fresh even though I didn't have a break." TenTen glowered at him and made a rude gesture in his direction. Guy shook his head. '_Can't wait till missions,' _he thought sarcastically.

"Begin!"

"Kick his ass, Naruto!" cheered TenTen in spite of what he had said, "But then I wouldn't mind if Neji beat yours!" Guy facepalmed. Out of the trio, Naruto and TenTen were the closest, but sometimes it didn't seem like it.

"Yeah right!" shouted Naruto, mentally reviewing the strategy he had formed before the fight. '_No surprise unless it's quick. Can't get close and risk his Gentle Fist. Can't run either, but I wasn't going to.'_ He pulled a few shuriken from his holster and flung them at the Hyuuga experimentally. He jumped to side but made no further movement. '_He won't charge me like he did TenTen. He thinks I may be trouble up close. Not that I don't mind.'_ The blonde created ten clones and all darted toward Neji.

Sidelines:

"Those are real clones, right?" asked TenTen, "During the fight they seemed pretty real."

"Indeed they are."

"But how did he learn it? I don't think it's taught in the Academy, not even to geniuses like him."

Guy looked at her strangely. "It's not and why do you think Naruto's a genius?"

"Well, he graduated early and is outstanding in battle. Why else?"

Guy chuckled. "Then you'd be surprised to hear that he used to be the Dead Last of his class."

TenTen snapped her head toward her sensei. "What? Really?"

"Yep. He had actually tried to graduate ahead of you but failed the Exam. But then he learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu and passed the second time." Guy shook his head. "He has determination."

"I'm not totally sure I believe it…" whispered TenTen, "I need to hear it for myself."

Battle:

'_My only chance to hit him is to try to overstretch him with clones.'_ He called out to his clones, "Three at a time!"

"Hai!" As the clones approached, they split into three teams of three, leaving one clone to tend to the original that chose to stay back and observe, a combat habit of his.

Neji didn't budge until the first group reached him. With a deft movement, he jabbed the first clone in the gut and dispelled it while blocking an incoming punch. He parried a kick from another matched it with a kick of his own which the attacking clone blocked. Another punched at his side, but was intercepted by a palm. Neji gripped the fist and threw the clone down on the ground on top of the other.

The memories Naruto received did not bode well for him. '_Well, he has omniscient 360 degree vision. I thought he could only see in portions. Dandy, just dandy. That messes up all my plans.'_ The next group of clones had come to a similar conclusion and visibly hesitated. Neji took advantage of that and was on them before the group could react.

Two were gone in quick succession of Gentle Fist strikes, and the third lasted long enough to gape at the display before being forcefully struck with both palms, sending it flying. The next group fared better than the last and managed to hold off the Hyuuga for about a minute before he destroyed them.

The clone next to Naruto was sweating slightly, but quickly threw shuriken at the now-advancing Neji. He dodged them and spun and delivered a vicious palm blow to the clone. Naruto narrowed his eyes and jumped backwards with Neji simply watching. The option of taking off his weights occurred to him, but a small shake of Guy's head quickly deleted it.

"Why?" he asked as the blonde landed. "Why do you resist fate? You can never defeat me or accomplish your pathetic dream of becoming Hokage. There is not even the slightest chance."

"Because," started Naruto, ditching his strategy and opting for a more direct approach by charging the Hyuuga, "I want to prove-," He punched at Neji who deflected it and followed up with his own strike. "-to myself and to the village that-," Naruto dodged the blow. "-I am not a weakling or trash!"

Neji snorted. He landed a glancing blow to Naruto's arms. "Fate is determined from the day you are born," he said venomously as he tried to jab a finger at Naruto's tenketsu. "You might as well surrender yourself to its current."

"Then explain this:" Naruto moved out of the way of Neji's jab and tried to sweep his legs out from under him which failed as the Hyuuga stepped out of range. "-How did I, the Dead Last of the Academy-,"

Sidelines:

TenTen gasped. "Wha-? How? Dead Last? It's true?"

"Told you."

Battle:

Naruto dodged a kick from Neji and retaliated with a right hook while still saying, "-graduate a year early and get on this team?" Neji narrowed his eyes but kept his silence as he sent a flurry of jabs at Naruto. The blonde held up his arms to defend himself but was sent sliding back a few feet. He mentally checked if he could still use chakra in his arms and inwardly sighed in relief when he could. "Hmm?" he asked, returning his attention to the Hyuuga. Naruto threw a few shuriken again pointlessly, and the Hyuuga smirked as they fell short.

Sidelines:

Guy smiled mysteriously. TenTen caught it and wondered, '_Why is he smiling?'_

Battle:

"Looks like I just fooled fate and turned my destiny," said Naruto as he charged forward. Neji shifted his weight to catch the frontal blow that never came as Naruto switched with a shuriken and landed a powerful punch to his jaw. Neji collapsed to the ground in a heap. "Surrendering is the ultimate defeat, and so I have already defeated you," he finished.

Sidelines:

TenTen's jaw dropped as Naruto ended the battle. "Wow. I knew Naruto was good, but to beat Neji…,"

Guy grinned. "Looks like Iron Fist _can_ beat Gentle Fist." '_Take that, Hiashi!'_

Battle:

Naruto let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding and offered a hand to Neji, only for him to be replaced with a log. '_What? Wait…SHIT!'_ The Hyuuga appeared in front of Naruto, a smug sneer on his face.

"**Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms!**"

"Two!"

"Four!"

"Eight!"

"Sixteen!"

"Thirty-two palms!" Neji delivered the final palm to Naruto's chakra center, and the blonde looked confused before he fell to the ground face first.

"Naruto!" cried TenTen, running over to them.

Neji regarded the person before him cruelly. "Fool," he spat before walking away.

"Naruto! You alright?" asked TenTen frantically, shaking the blonde. The blonde didn't respond and TenTen thought the worst: that somehow Neji had killed him, but then Naruto groaned and rolled over to blink his eyes. Her worry quickly turned into anger. "Get up! You worried me!" She punched him in the arm, issuing another groan from Naruto.

"Quit that," he argued weakly, "It hurts."

"You're gonna hurt a lot more if you don't get up!"

"I don't think you could hurt me anymore, TenTen."

"Get up or I'll prove you wrong!" Naruto blinked blearily again and slowly sat up. "Good. You had me worried there for a second."

Naruto flashed a small, painful grin at her. "Thanks for worrying, _Kaa-san_."

TenTen winded her fist back but then lowered it and said in a sickly sweet tone, "You welcome, _Otouto-kun." _Naruto glared at her but didn't move.

"That was a low blow."

"You called me old."

"No, I didn't. Not directly, anyway."

"Indirectly is what a girl always looks for, little one. You've got to learn that."

Naruto scowled at being called little one and shook his head. "You're mean sometimes," he grinned wickedly, "but do try to remember who loss two times in a row today."

TenTen growled at him and punched him in the arm, hard. He groaned again as pain flared through his body and punched back though with considerably less force. TenTen responded by giving the blonde a playful noogie, and the blonde struggled. "There. That 'll teach you," she said, letting him go and ruffling his hair.

Guy smiled and Neji rolled his eyes. "Alright, you two. These spars conclude the training for today. You're dismissed."

Naruto rolled his neck after training with Guy and Lee. He was still feeling the effects of the ruthless regimen they did, but admittedly Naruto was starting to enjoy it. Not to the point of letting Guy brainwash him, but he enjoyed the challenge it presented.

He looked at the setting sun and sighed. Those two could and would train until midnight, but Naruto had no time for that. Besides, he could rely on other things besides taijutsu unlike Lee. The blonde shook his head at the thought of the jutsu-less Genin; the boy had a rough road ahead of him.

The blonde walked in the direction of his favorite ramen stand, not really paying attention. Boisterous noise from an alley drew him towards it, and he peered into the alley. Three teens surrounded a small figure on the ground and were kicking it and shouting insults at it. Naruto was reminded about the day he defended Hinata, and protective anger flooded through him.

"Hey, bastards! Leave that person alone!" he yelled, making the boys turn to face him.

"Heh, look. It's the demon boy," said a pig-faced one.

"Touch him again and I will show why I'm called that!" snarled Naruto, cracking his knuckles.

One, unfazed by the anger, taunted, "Pheh! You look more like a pussy than a-," He never finished as Naruto tore toward the boy, hands clenched into fists. The first punch sent the boy sailing, and a second caused one to collapse with a broken nose. The remaining one looked at him fearfully but with a spark of recognition. "Y-y-you're that k-k-kid."

"Oh, you're the same damn group? Looks like you never learn." Naruto grinned evilly as he recognized the voice. He appeared next to the teen in an instant. "Run along to Mommy now," he whispered. The teen gulped and stumbled out of the alley. Naruto looked at the others and his lip curled in disgust. "Bastards. Attacking something smaller than them. Bastards and cowards." The blonde turned to see who or what the figure was, and frowned slightly.

It was a small boy, shabbily dressed but looked healthy enough. His wide brown eyes looked in awe and fear at Naruto. The blonde offered a hand, and the boy looked at it before taking it. "Th-thank you," he breathed.

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Just wanted to help. I don't particularly like bullies, and I've run into them before."

"I h-heard you."

"Hope you didn't hear everything. If you did, don't repeat some of those words around your parents," said Naruto lightly before walking away.

"W-wait!" Naruto turned his head. "You're the demon that everyone talks about?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. 'Demon' is what everyone calls me when they think I can't hear them," he smiled sadly, "I can hear every word."

"Oh," the boy kicked the ground with his toe, "well, I don't think you're a demon….erm…,"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki-san, sir." Naruto looked oddly at the boy before breaking into laughter.

"I don't think anyone's ever called me -san or a sir before," he replied, wiping his eyes. "What's your name?"

"Touza. Just Touza."

He patted Touza's head. "Well, Touza-san, run along now. I bet your parents are worried." He nodded and smiled at Naruto before taking off out into the street.

Naruto watched the boy disappear around the corner and smiled slightly. '_Even in ignorance, there is clarity,'_ thought the blonde philosophically before heading to Ichiraku.

The trip there was short, or so it seemed to Naruto whose mind had wandered again. He pushed the flaps away and sat on one of the seats. He looked to see if Iruka had arrived and saw he had not. Naruto was early anyway; he usually went home to change into his jumpsuit or more comfortable clothes.

He waited until the Chunin arrived even though his stomach growled loud enough for other patrons to look over at him, only to scowl upon seeing who it was. When Iruka arrived, Naruto said irritably, "Took your time, didn't you?"

"There was a test today, and the papers took longer to grade," explained Iruka, waving over Ayame. She took their orders and shouted them to her dad in the back.

Naruto looked at Iruka and decided to start the conversation. "Today we had sparring."

"And?"

"Uh, well, I won one and lost the other."

"This is your first spar, right?" He nodded. "You did better than I did. I lost to both my teammates. I was the laughingstock until I beat them the next time." Iruka grinned. "That victory felt great to say the least. Who was the unlucky one?"

"TenTen, you know, the weapons girl? I've told you about her."

"Yeah, and I keep wondering if you have a crush on this girl."

The blonde snorted. "She's pretty and nice but more of a friend than anything."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious! Plus I know she doesn't like me. She likes Neji, the prick of the group."

The Chunin smiled, amused. "There's one on almost every team. It's just the extent of the prickishness. And I feel sorry that you missed out on her."

"Oh, shut up, Iruka-sensei." Addressing the earlier part, "And Neji takes the cake of prickishness. He makes Sasuke look damn sociable," said Naruto, leaning back in his chair. Iruka chuckled, and both quit talking as the food came. After they finished, Iruka asked, "Anything other exciting things happen today?"

Naruto hesitated before saying, "Well, I helped this kid with some bullies on the way here. Taught them a lesson. I knocked out two of the three. The other ran."

"That was a noble thing to do. I'm proud of you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks." He turned toward Iruka. "Do you know of anyone called Touza?"

"Touza…?"

"He didn't give me a last name."

"Hmm. I'm afraid I don't. If you could ask about his last name that might clear things up."

"Well, if I run into him again, I'll ask." Iruka nodded and paused, debating whether or not to ask one particular question. Naruto saw the pause. "What is it?"

"Did the bullies, or the boy for that matter, call you anything?"

"The bullies called me the usual, but Touza didn't. He did recognize me as the 'demon boy', but didn't run away in fear. Said he didn't think I was a demon. Even called me 'Naruto-san'." He smiled wistfully. "Even in ignorance, there is clarity," he repeated the thought he had had.

"That's deep for someone of your age."

"When the whole village shuns you, you learn to mature quickly."

"Yet you never did until last year."

"I've always been mature, but the pranks were a way of release for me, not to mention a way of grabbing attention." The blonde grinned at the Chunin. "They sure did grab yours."

Iruka laughed. "Yeah, they did. Painting the entire Academy neon pink is going to make anyone turn around!" They both laughed.

After the two had stopped, Naruto asked, "Hey, Iruka-sensei, did you teach about the Uzumaki clan in the Academy?"

"Yeah, but you weren't there. I remember it because Sasuke was fuming about you sharing the name of a clan with equal or greater power than his. It was pretty funny, actually," said Iruka, an amused grin coming on.

"I should've been there. I could've made fun of him."

"And then you two would have a fight. Sometimes it was best for you to skip to avoid Sasuke. And why do you ask, by the way?"

"Well, TenTen uses a ninja art called fuinjutsu, and Guy-sensei tried to explain it, but said to ask someone else more experienced." The blonde glanced at Iruka. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Yeah, but what did Guy-san tell you?" Naruto retold what his sensei had said, and after that the Chunin nodded. "He told you of it, and he was right; there are limitless possibilities for the art."

"Then why haven't I heard of everyone using fuinjutsu?"

"It's a time-consuming topic to learn about. It usually takes about ten years for someone to achieve the rank of expert, and another ten to be a master. There are naturals of course. The Yondaime was one. He was a master in about ten years."

Naruto smiled at the mention of his idol. "Yondaime…he was really powerful, wasn't he? He was able to kill the Kyuubi, and that's no small feat." Guilt flicked across Iruka's face at Naruto's words; the blonde had no clue, but then neither of the other kids did. Naruto asked something, bringing Iruka from his thoughts. "Do you know any fuinjutsu, Iruka-sensei?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I focus more on the defensive side of it. Barriers and such," he added at the confused look on Naruto's face. "I started when I was a little bit older than you, but since I haven't progressed much. I've never had time for it."

"How does one learn fuinjutsu exactly?"

"It's a bunch of theory and experimentation. Theory to learn how to make a seal, and experimentation to make sure your seal works and doesn't blow up."

"It can be that dangerous?"

"Definitely. We've lost people to defective explosive seals."

"The theory part…is it reading?"

"Mostly." Naruto groaned. "That's why it's not well-known. Most people would rather train or practice jutsu than read. Those who do pursue this, though, become very powerful."

The blonde grunted. "I was considering taking it up, but now…" He shrugged.

Iruka laughed. "It's not that bad. Tell you what: this weekend, come to the Academy after it releases and I'll show you some basics."

"That'd mean cutting my training short."

"I'm sure Guy-san would understand, and if you don't like it, you won't have to cut your training short anymore."

Naruto frowned, considering. After a moment, he agreed, "Alright. But I warn you, I probably won't like it. That's too much dull reading. I like fiction much better."

Iruka shrugged. "It's not that bad." He grinned. "Just don't paint the Academy again."

Naruto chuckled. "Too bad. I had plans to paint it bright orange."

"And then everyone will know who did it!" They laughed again. After the laughter stopped, Naruto leaned forward with small smile on his face and put his arms on the table. He seemed to be deep in thought, and Iruka took it as the cue to leave. He rose and paid for his meal and, as an afterthought, Naruto's.

Before he left, however, "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

"For what? The food? It's not a problem-,"

"No. For not ignoring me."

[1]: **Don't know if this'll clear anything up, but it's Kilik's stance from SoulCalibur. I probably described it rather poorly.**

**And cut. Man, that took a long time. Sorry for not getting this out sooner, but honestly, how many of you thought this was going to be the chapter Naruto beats sense into Neji? Eh? Well, that isn't going to happen for a while, like many things. Anyway, I hope you're not too irritated about the update speed. I don't want to burn out on this one. Anyway, toodles.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, as always, thanks for the reviews. DC: I don't own Naruto. Edit: DAH! I forgot the breaks! Plus I looked back and saw TenTen knows about Naruto's ungodly chakra levels. Changed her reaction.**

* * *

"Goddammit! Why are we stuck doing chores!?" demanded TenTen, pulling up a weed fiercely. Naruto sighed. She had been ranting along similar lines for the past half-hour, and, even though he agreed with her, it was starting to grind on Naruto's nerves. "I mean," she continued, "Academy students could do this! Hell, the damn gardener could do this! Why get ninja to do it!? We should be patrolling or escorting some fat merchant to some meeting of other fat merchants-,"

"Calm down, TenTen," said Guy. Naruto was amazed he was patient enough to deal with her. He himself would have already lost it. "This is team building, not skill building. And this isn't hard-,"

"Exactly! It isn't challenging! And if you wanted team building, why don't you give us an exercise that improves it? Not some lame-ass _chore_-,"

"TenTen," said Guy forcefully, "You are disturbing the Power of-,"

"Don't you even dare bring some 'Youth' crap up! I don't care if I'm disturbing anything! I want to beat some bandit ass!" The constant yelling was really setting Naruto's teeth on edge, and so he did the one thing to shut her up: he kicked her in the shin. "OW! Son of a-NARUTO!"

"I don't have a son, or at least I hope not," deadpanned the blonde, going back to pulling weeds. TenTen rubbed the spot he had kicked and threw Naruto a black look. "What? I had to shut you up somehow."

"You didn't have to break my leg!"

"For that, I could've taken off my weights and dropped them. They weigh about six hundred pounds. Real nice for the legs." It had been about a month since the first spars. There had been other spars, all ending up like the first set. Naruto was irked that he couldn't beat Neji, but knew that was because he lacked formal training which Neji had been receiving all his life.

The meeting with Iruka had gone well. Naruto, even though he was dealing with TenTen, smiled a bit as he remembered it.

**_Flashback_**

_Naruto tapped his foot impatiently at Iruka's classroom door, waiting for the class to file out. '_God, how long is this going to take?'_ thought Naruto, annoyed. '_It never seemed to take this long.'_ Five minutes, or five hours if anyone were to ask the blonde, a bell rang and the class filed out. Kiba's eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight of Naruto with his headband._

_"__Hey, Naruto! You a ninja now?" he asked._

_Naruto grinned. "Nope, I stole this," he joked, pointing at the headband. Kiba seemed to believe him for a second, but caught the look on the blonde's face. He laughed._

_"__Ever the clown, dobe," sneered Sasuke._

_The blonde rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Sasuke. I've already had my dose of arrogance today, and I don't need another." He pushed past the Uchiha into the classroom. Inside, Hinata was gathering up her things. She looked up and blushed at the sight of Naruto, who grinned back. "Hello, Hinata."_

_"__H-h-hello, N-Naruto-kun," she stammered, looking at her feet and poking her index fingers together._

_"__Aw, no reason to be shy is there?" said Naruto, walking over to her. He tried to look into her eyes but they were busy looking at anything but him. He frowned and sighed inwardly. This would be so much easier if she wasn't so quiet. "C'mon, Hinata, can't you look me in the eyes once?" She hesitantly raised her head and gazed to the left of Naruto, but at least she had raised her head. "Tell you what: I'll close my eyes, and then pretend that you're looking me in the eyes."_

_She fidgeted. "A-alright." The blonde closed his eyes and Hinata's eyes slowly rose to his. In a snap, they were open and staring deep into hers. She squeaked and turned away._

_"__What? Did I scare you?" She shook her head timidly. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are my eyes ugly or something, Hinata?"_

_"__No!" she said surprisingly fierce. She then whispered meekly, "S-s-sorry."_

_"__It's alright," replied Naruto, waving a hand airily. "So I don't have ugly eyes?"_

_"__N-no, y-y-you have v-v-very p-p-p-p-p-." She couldn't bring herself to say the last word, but the blonde stepped in._

_"__Pretty eyes?" She nodded, a tomato-red blush appearing on her face. Naruto smiled. "Well, thanks. You do too." She gasped and looked up. He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, a sheepish tic of his. "What? It's true." Her blush seemed to get redder, if that was possible._

_"__Hey, Naruto!" called Iruka from the front of the class. He had just glanced up from grading and saw the blonde and Hinata chatting, which he thought strange._

_"__Yes, sensei?" answered Naruto, turning his head toward Iruka._

_"__Wait there for a moment. I have to finish this." He gestured to the papers strewn across his desk._

_Naruto nodded and looked back at Hinata, who now appeared to be hyperventilating. "Hey, Hinata! You alright?" '_Is calling her eyes pretty going too far?'

_One single thought kept cycling through the Hyuuga heiress's mind: '_He called me pretty! He called me pretty! Naruto-kun called me pretty!'_ Next thing she saw was the blonde's concerned face only a few inches from hers. She then promptly fainted._

_"__Ah, hell,"_ _muttered Naruto. He caught her before she hit the ground and slowly lowered her. Iruka looked up and chuckled at the sight. He also caught the slight blush on Naruto's face. '_Ah, now I see.'

_A panicky feeling began to well up in the blonde's mind, but he quickly shook it off. Naruto created a clone, and it picked up Hinata bridal-style. "Erm, take her back home, I guess," he said uncertainly, noting clone's red cheeks. It nodded and was off in a flash._

_"__Well, that was interesting, and revealing," piped up Iruka, finishing the last of the papers._

_"__Revealing in what way?" asked the blonde irritably._

_"__Nothing. Just some extra ammo."_

_"__Wha-Hey! I-it's not you think! I-I don't have a cr-crush on Hinata!"_

_"__Who said anything about a crush?"_

_Naruto sputtered for an answer, and Iruka laughed at his flaming cheeks. "Alright. Down to business." He pulled out a scroll and motioned the blonde over. Naruto, still slightly red, walked over and studied the outer kanji: Basics. "We're starting from scratch since you have absolutely no experience with fuinjutsu." Iruka opened the scroll, "Alright, fuinjutsu begins with…"_

_An hour later, Naruto was intensely studying a scroll over storage seals. As it turns out, the blonde had a knack for the art and quickly picked up the basics. When asked how he could understand something he had never encountered before, Naruto had shrugged, "I don't know. Must be in my blood." In fact, fuinjutsu was like a challenging but absorbing puzzle, and successfully making a seal was exhilarating to him. He assumed creating an entirely new seal would be like creating the answer and puzzle at the same time._

_At the end of the three-hour lesson, Naruto asked where the books on fuinjutsu were located in the library. As soon as Iruka gave an answer, a funny look crossed the blonde's face, and he burst out in laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked._

_"__My clone got into so much trouble!"_

**_End Flashback_**

"NARUTO!" screamed TenTen next to Naruto's ear. Said blonde jumped and clutched his ear.

"Ow! Watch the dial, sheesh!" he replied, his ear ringing. He glared up at TenTen.

"Well, while you were off in dreamland, me and Neji finished the whole damned garden!" she said, crossing her arms.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, TenTen. Looks like you stopped complaining for a whole minute and actually did something," he remarked sarcastically. Neji stood beside TenTen, arms crossed much like hers, but he remained silent. "If you're going to say anything, teme, say it now." The Hyuuga shook his head exasperatedly and walked away.

Guy shouted to get their attention. "Team 9! Gather!" TenTen helped Naruto up, the two still bickering, and Neji kept his stoic appearance as the pair came closer.

"I had to get your attention, since you obviously weren't in this realm!" shouted TenTen, answering a question Naruto had asked out of earshot.

"You could've shaken me, kicked me, slapped me-,"

"Don't tempt me."

The blonde began to reply, but Guy cut him off. "Alright, D-Rank mission successful. Now we report back to Hokage Tower." Naruto nodded, not really listening and still glaring at TenTen. This was their fourth D-Rank, so he knew where to go and what to do.

On the way back, Guy suddenly halted. "Seems we have a shadow," he said, turning around. "OK, show yourself!"

A small boy with brown hair and eyes peeked out of an alley, and Naruto immediately recognized him. "Touza!...Right?" The boy nodded.

Guy looked at Naruto. "You know him?"

"Yeah, rescued him from a couple of bullies about a month ago." He continued in a louder voice, "but I thought he had forgotten about me." Touza looked slightly scared at Naruto, who said, "But it's alright." The boy smiled slightly but looked hesitantly at Neji and TenTen. TenTen smiled at him, and Neji studied Touza coolly. Naruto walked over to him. "What do you need, Touza-san?"

"Just call me Touza, please sir," he said meekly.

The blonde smiled. "Alright, Touza, whatcha need?"

"Erm, well…I was going to ask…how do I say this?..." Touza murmured. Naruto knelt down at the boy's level. He cocked his head curiously.

"What?"

"Well, uh, can you, uh, train me?" Touza squeaked. Naruto furrowed his brow at the boy's request, and then laughed a bit. "What? What's so funny?"

"I doubt I'd be a good teacher. Do you even go to the Academy?" Touza nodded. "Then why ask me?"

"Well, my sensei doesn't like to deal with us after school, so I thought about asking someone to help me, and I-I thought about you. You're nice."

Naruto smiled. "Who's your sensei?"

"Kitame."

"Oh, don't know him. And, by the way, why not ask earlier?"

"Well, I-I'm kinda shy. I've been following you for the past couple of weeks trying to be brave enough to ask, but," Touza shrugged, "I couldn't." Naruto snapped his head toward Guy at Touza mentioning he had been following them for quite some time. There was a surprised look on his face; it was clear today was the first day he had sensed him.

'_To fool even me, a Jonin…that's remarkable,'_ thought Guy. He, however, said, "Sorry, Touza-san. I'm afraid we can't stick around for much longer. We've got to deliver a mission report to Hokage Tower."

"Weed pulling's a mission?" asked Touza incredulously, "I thought you had chores."

"SEE! Even he thinks it's a chore!" yelled TenTen, making a face at Guy. The Jonin sighed exasperatedly and rubbed his temples.

"Anyway, Touza-san, Naruto probably can't teach you because he has his own training to do. Right?" said Guy, looking at Naruto.

The blonde frowned but had to agree. Between team training, training with Guy and Lee, and fuinjutsu study, he really didn't have much free time. "Could he tag along to watch, though?" he asked.

Guy shrugged. "If he can keep up." Touza's face lit up, and he nodded happily. The Jonin smiled. So energetic. He turned to head to the Hokage Tower, and his team, along with their new unofficial member. As soon as the group had turned the next corner, Hinata poked her head out from an alley. '_Who was that?'_

* * *

Naruto quickly blocked a shattering punch from Lee, and threw one of his own. He, Lee, Guy and Touza were at a Training Field; Naruto wasn't sure which one. Touza sat beneath a tree spectating, and Guy stood off to the side of the taijutsu spar, monitoring it.

Naruto had his jacket off, and several bruises were visible on his arms, most of them on his forearms. Guy had tried to convince Naruto to wear bandages like Lee, but he had declined. The bruises cleared up in a day for the blonde, much to the confusion of Lee; Guy had a theory why Naruto healed so fast.

Naruto dodged a kick, and retaliated with a jab and kick of his own. This spar had been going on for about five minutes, Naruto mainly on the defensive and only lashing out after Lee's own attacks, even then his attacks weren't damaging enough to affect Lee; he might as well be tickling him with a feather.

Lee suddenly vanished from in front of him, and the blonde's eyes widened. '_Where'd he go?'_ Lee appeared to Naruto's immediate left and leveled him with a thrusting kick to the ribs. Naruto tumbled but caught himself to face the Genin. Sharp pain flared in the place he had been kicked, and he winced. "God, Lee, this is a friendly spar, not a grudge match!"

"Did I hurt you, Naruto-san?"

"You probably cracked a rib," said Naruto, but then the sharpness of the pain faded into a dull ache, "That's now healed."

"With that regeneration, Naruto-san, I do not think I could hurt you even if I tried."

"I doubt that," Naruto rolled his shoulders, "Alright, ready when you are." Lee took up his stance and then blurred to the right. '_Dammit! The same speed! So fast even with his weights on!'_ A whistling from Naruto's right alerted him to an incoming punch that he twisted to dodge. Using his momentum, he landed a glancing kick on Lee's side.

"Part!" shouted Guy, and the two combatants flipped away from each other. Lee was breathing slightly, but Naruto was panting. Lee extended a hand to shake Naruto's.

"That was an exciting match, Naruto-san," remarked Lee as they shook hands.

"Yes, it was," agreed Naruto, grinning, "But no different from the other forty or something."

"I do not know," said Lee, "I can see and feel-," he rubbed his side, "your progress. You are a fast learner." Naruto shrugged noncommittally at this, and Guy motioned toward him that his training was over. Since the blonde had begun to study fuinjutsu, his lessons with Guy and Lee had been shortened. Naruto had about an hour and a half to study each day.

Naruto went to sit underneath the tree where Touza sat and plopped down. He sighed heavily as he leaned back against the tree. Touza gazed as Guy and Lee began to spar, throwing punches that would've killed the blonde, and then looked at Naruto. "They can really fight, can't they, sir?"

The blonde sighed again, exasperatedly, "You don't have to call me 'sir', Touza. Or if you do, I'll call you Touza-san."

"Yes, Naruto-san."

The blonde shrugged; it was something. "To answer your question: yes, they can really fight." A particularly punishing blow caught Lee on the jaw and sent him rolling into a tree; however, he sprung up with a loud whoop and continued the battle. Both of the boys sweatdropped. "And I don't know how they're that indestructible," said Naruto lamely.

He pulled a backpack hanging from a branch and rummaged in it. "Now where did it go…ow, nicked my finger…there it is!" He pulled out a scroll labeled _Entry into Fuinjutsu: Storage Seals. _He unrolled it and started to study it, Touza looking over his shoulder. Suddenly, Naruto straightened and looked at Touza curiously. "Y'know, I really don't know you that much. Care to tell anything useful tidbits? Family? School? Age?"

"I'm seven and a half," stated Touza sagely. Naruto blinked at him and tried not to laugh at the boy's serious face. "What's so funny, Naruto-san?" The blonde shook his head, not daring to speak. Touza looked like he was about to say more, but didn't.

"Anything else, Touza?"

"Erm," Touza stared into space, "I'm just above the Dead Last in the Academy, I think. Or I'm the Dead Last. I can't remember."

Naruto smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, I know how you feel. I was the Dead Last a year before I graduated, but then I bumped up to about average. Good enough for me, though."

Touza's eyes widened. "You were the last Dead Last, Naruto-san?"

"Well, not the last, but second to last. I have no clue who's last now."

"That's…amazing."

Naruto grinned. "Not really. All I really did to be average was buckle down and take the Academy seriously." He looked over at Touza. "Ever heard about my exploits, though?"

Touza nodded, a mirthful grin coming onto his small face. "You painted the Academy pink one time. No one knows how you did it, but you did." He leaned toward Naruto conspiratorially, "Can you tell me your secrets? Pretty please?" Touza made puppy eyes at the blonde.

'_Aw, no fair! I must resist!_'"Afraid I can't, Touza. With great power comes great responsibility, which you have none of."

"And you do?"

"Good point." They both laughed. Naruto began to read again as did Touza, and for about ten minutes there was silence before Naruto asked, "Touza, do you have any family?" The blonde had assumed he did; his clothes weren't exactly in the best condition, but he looked well-fed.

The boy fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable. He tried to change the subject, "Can I ask questions now?"

Naruto wanted to press, but could tell family was a sensitive subject for the boy. "How about this," proposed the blonde, "I'll tell about my family, and you tell about yours." Touza looked hesitantly at Naruto, the energy from him now gone. He nodded slowly, uncertainly. "Alright. My family. I have none. Killed in the Kyuubi attack I've been told."

Touza looked at Naruto with something like empathy. He looked at his feet and wiggled them to distract himself. Naruto waited patiently for the boy to speak; from the look, he had guessed Touza was an orphan himself. This couldn't be easy. Finally Touza stuttered, "W-w-well, I-I have n-n-no f-family ei-either." Naruto looked down but said nothing. What could he say? I'm sorry? That never helped. What was the person sorry for? They didn't do anything. No, the best answer was silence.

A tear ran down Touza's cheek, and he wiped it away impatiently. They sat quietly for a minute until the younger one spoke, "C-can I ask qu-questions n-now?" The blonde nodded and smiled encouragingly as Touza calmed. Touza stared at the ground for a few seconds, thinking, before looking up and grinning devilishly. His energy had returned. "Have a crush yet?"

Naruto, who had returned to studying, started. He frowned at the boy, but decided to answer. They had both just admitted to each other about being orphans. Why not answer this question? "Yeah," started Naruto slowly.

"What's her name?"

The blonde decided to joke with him. "Who said anything about my crush being a girl?"

"EW! GROSS!" screamed Touza, backing away from the blonde who was rolling with laughter.

"Just kidding! Just kidding," Naruto composed himself and Touza crept back, a distrustful look still on his face. "No, my crush's name is…" He glanced at Touza, "You spill one word, and I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. Understand?" Touza nodded solemnly. "Her name is…" Naruto eyed the boy carefully. "I really hate you for this question, you know that?"

"Yep."

Naruto glared playfully at him, but answered. "Hinata Hyuuga."

Touza blinked. "A Hyuuga? Now that you say that…There's a Hyuuga girl that likes to stalk you. No clue who she is and I only saw her because she was following you." He shrugged. "A pretty girl, a bit weird maybe."

Naruto raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Guy-sensei sensed you but not her?"

"Naw, he's sensed her. Guy-san actually talked to her after a mission-chore-thingamajig. I stood about ten feet from them. I couldn't really hear, but Guy-san didn't know about me." He grinned slightly, proud of his sneaking skills which sounded to be quite extraordinary.

The blonde shook his head. "That's interesting. Not entirely sure if I believe you, though."

"Then ask your sensei, Naruto-san." Naruto seemed to give it thought before he stood and walked over to the side of the clearing. Guy quickly stopped the fight when he saw the blonde. Naruto seemed to ask something, and the Jonin nodded in response while saying something. All of this was out of earshot until Naruto shouted, "WHAT!?" Guy motioned for him to quiet, and blonde did so with an irritated frown on his face. He soon stomped back to the tree and studied the scroll without a word to Touza.

Touza frowned, hoping the blonde wasn't angry with him. "So, erm, what'd he say?" he asked timidly. Naruto mumbled something too low for the boy to hear. "What?"

"You were right. I'm just kinda mad with Guy-sensei for not telling me," said Naruto. He shrugged. "Maybe he didn't feel it needed my attention." An odd look appeared on his face. "It's ironic, though. I'm ignored by the whole village, and I've got a stalker. Can't say I mind, seeing that I like the stalker." He grinned wickedly. "I might just try to catch her."

Touza laughed, and Naruto resumed his studies in comfortable silence. Soon, after a half-hour, he left, saying it was getting close to his curfew at the orphanage. Naruto furrowed his brow as the boy mentioned the orphanage. He really couldn't remember much of his short stay, but knew they had ignored him for the most part. It made him very independent very fast, and soon he had his own apartment on the orders of the Hokage. He shrugged and began to pore over matrices in storage seals.

* * *

The next day, TenTen was laid out on the ground while both Naruto and Neji panted slightly. Guy was beaming in front of them. The cause of their exhaustion was their new training routine: seventy-five laps and one-hundred fifty pushups and sit-ups. This was the third day of the workout, but the three were still getting used to it.

"Alright, team! Let's get down to the real training!" exclaimed Guy. The team slowly stood in front of him, waiting for him to make clones, but none came.

"Uh, sensei? Aren't you going to make clones or something?" asked TenTen.

"Nope. We are climbing trees today!" Before they could comment, or specifically TenTen, "Like this!" He climbed up a nearby tree, but with one important detail: he was using only his feet. TenTen gawked at him hanging from a tree branch, and Naruto's eyebrows rose in surprise; only Neji didn't react, as expected.

"We're climbing trees with chakra!" explained Guy enthusiastically, flipping down. "You focus chakra to your feet, and then press them against the tree. Hopefully, with a few steps, you're sticking to the tree. If not, well, you fall. Now, the one that may have trouble will be Naruto. Do you know why, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded. "I have a large chakra reserve; therefore, it is harder for me to use small amounts of chakra. Not impossible unless it's ridiculously small like the Clone Jutsu. I can do this, but it may take a whole day."

TenTen nodded. "You said you had as much as a Tokubetsu Jonin or the Hokage."

"That sounds about right. I'm surprised you remembered."

TenTen grinned. "I'm a lot smarter than I look."

"Are you implying that you are secretly blonde?"

"Wha-NO!"

"Knew it. What kind of dye do you use?" Before TenTen could properly murder the blonde, a rustle alerted them, and Touza crept out of the bushes.

"Hello, Touza-san," greeted Guy. The boy waved. Guy started to return to ordering his team to train, but a fact occurred to him. "Touza-san, isn't there Academy today?"

Touza froze and looked guiltily at the Jonin. "Y-yes."

Guy looked pointedly at him. "Then why aren't you there?"

"Uh, well…you see, it's, uh, kinda boring," answered Touza meekly, head down.

"That doesn't mean anything. Now, I don't mind you watching, but when the Academy is in session, you should go."

"But-,"

"No buts."

Naruto cut in to defend the boy. "C'mon, sensei. Watching actual ninja train has to be more educational than sitting in a classroom and reading. He'd see how things are done in the real world." He turned toward Touza. "Not that I condone skipping. You should go to learn some theory to pass your classes."

"But you skipped, Naruto-san," argued Touza weakly.

"Yeah, but my last year I didn't. I took the Academy seriously and then I wasn't Dead Last anymore."

TenTen frowned. She piped up, "You said you were the Dead Last during your first fight with Neji." Neji eyed the blonde curiously and irately, thinking he had lied.

"Let me rephrase that: I was the second-to-last Dead Last, and then I was average."

"That true, sensei?" asked TenTen. Guy nodded, not listening and considering Naruto's idea. Maybe he could work something out with the sensei…but then what happened with Touza was out of his control. Naruto liked the kid, and so did the rest of the team to an extent, but only Team 9 was in his jurisdiction.

"Touza-san," said Guy, getting the boy's attention as well as the others, "I'm afraid I can't let you watch during Academy hours. You and I would get in trouble, and I'd like to avoid that. Go back to the Academy." Touza nodded sadly and disappeared into the brush, his head hanging. After a few seconds, the Jonin couldn't hear anything. '_It's like he's a ghost or something. He can make so little sound,'_ thought Guy uneasily.

As soon as Touza had gone, the Jonin returned his attention to his students. "Alright, back to what I was saying. Naruto, you will have the most trouble with this, I'm sure. TenTen or Neij, one of you will finish first, though I would think Neji." Neji smirked at this, and TenTen fumed. "Now, get a tree." Each member of the team got a tree, each located near each other, and waited for their sensei's command. "Begin!"

They started to slowly walk to the highest branch, and the first to fall was expectedly Naruto who immediately got up and paused before trying again. TenTen got halfway before she fell, and Neji was three-quarters up before he did. Each time any one of them fell, they would catch themselves with their hands and land slightly back. Sometimes they would stop, consider their problem, and then refocus their chakra.

Three hours passed, and Neji became the first one to the top. He sneered triumphantly down at his team. TenTen was panting slightly, but she had made it three-quarters up. She glared at Neji. "Screw you, Neji," she breathed.

Naruto had made it halfway and was mentally trying to figure out the problem. '_I know I have terrible control, but I have to focus a small amount to my feet. I've tried the amount needed for a standard substitution, but that doesn't work…damn, but I'm closer.'_ He leaked an infinitesimal drop of chakra to his feet, and slowly made his way up. He passed his mark, then TenTen's, and then he grabbed the branch Neji was sitting on and pulled himself up. '_God, nearly lost it in the end.'_ He grinned at Neji, who now looked annoyed.

"GODDAMMIT!" screamed TenTen.

* * *

**Well, there you go. Not as long as last chapter, but hopefully good enough. This took a while to get out, and my updates might be slower because school is back in session…And one of my teachers is nicknamed "The Devil's Wife"…Joy to me -.-; Anyway, review or something. Anything but flames or irrelevant words are appreciated. Toodles.**

* * *

**Alrighty, anyone want to know why Naruto laughed? Well, this will explain it.**

**Omake: Attempted Hyuuga Break-in**

The clone carrying Hinata jumped into a window of the classroom the original was and then out onto a rooftop. '_Alright, the Hyuuga complex is in the southeastern portion of the village, so…'_ The clone glanced at the sun, '_that way.'_ It adjusted course and soon as covering ground quickly toward its destination. Hinata shifted in its arms and snuggled into its chest. The clone fought back a blush.

About thirty minutes later, the clone jumped to the ground; it was about three blocks to the entrance. It frowned as it thought of a plan; the village pariah carrying the unconscious Hyuuga heiress wouldn't exactly be well met by her clan. '_The Byakugan could be a problem…hm, could a transformation fool them?'_

The clone tried to set down Hinata, but she clutched to his black jacket surprisingly tightly. It couldn't make handsigns with her in its arms, not that it minded having Hinata in his arms. Up close and softened by sleep, she smelled lightly of lavender, a natural smell, not perfume. Her face was heart-shaped, lips full, and nose small. The clone shook itself out of its admiration, but having Hinata so close made it difficult.

'_FOCUS. Alright, let's try transforming,' _it thought, '_Now's the first time to try seal-less jutsu.'_ It closed its eyes and formed an image of a generic Hyuuga: white eyes, brown or black hair tied back with a headband, and a closed kimono. The clone grasped at the image, visualized the handsigns needed, and poured chakra into the jutsu. Nothing. '_Okay, try again.'_ It repeated the process again, and still nothing happened. '_Damn.'_ It tried again, still nothing. '_One last time, or to hell with this.'_ On the last try, it finally transformed into an average-looking adult Hyuuga. '_Finally.'_

The clone walked the first two blocks, and then ran to the entrance to give itself the appearance of urgency. When in earshot of the guards, "Help! The heiress has been attacked!" This grabbed their attention, and the guards scrambled over to the changed clone.

"What happened?"

"Who did this?"

"Where was she?" They were obviously panicking, and so was the clone or it appeared to be on the outside. It was calmly analyzing the situation inwardly. A man jumped down next to them from nowhere, and examined Hinata worriedly. "Hiashi-sama, is she alright?" asked one of the guards.

The man nodded as he saw her breathing, and glanced at the clone, Hinata still in its arms. "Thank you…" He squinted at it, "Wait, you're not part of the Branch Family." Hiashi activated his dojutsu, and immediately knew this was an imposter. He didn't know it was Naruto's clone, but he knew it wasn't a Hyuuga. "IMPOSTER!" A long sword appeared in his hand, and he raised it with a murderous gleam in his eyes. "Let. Her. Go."

"Uhh…BYE!" The clone raced off with three angry Hyuugas in hot pursuit and throwing curses at it periodically. '_How do I manage to get myself in these situations?'_ thought the clone forlornly as it dashed through the market section of the village. It threw up carts of merchandise, and as the clone overturned one, it heard, "My cabbages!"

"Sorry! Pay for them later!" The merchant grumbled and returned the cabbages to his cart, only for it to be overturned again by the Hyuugas.

"My cabbages! Not again! I had enough with that bald kid…"

The clone made it out of the market and turned into an alley. By that time, Hinata had started to wake up and was moving slightly. She froze as she realized she was being carried by an unfamiliar man, and then proceeded to slap him. "OW!" The transformation wore off, and the clone appeared in a puff of smoke with a red hand print on the side of its face.

Hinata gasped and covered her mouth. "S-s-s-sorry."

"It's alright, but-,"

"Where did that imposter go?"

"I do not know, Hiashi-sama."

"Then find him! And bring him here for…questioning." The way Hiashi had said 'questioning' struck fear into the heart of the clone. '_I feel sorry for the guy who dates his daughter.'_

"Listen, Hinata. I've got a plan, and I hope it'll work. Okay…" Five minutes later, Kō looked into the alley, and found the Hyuuga heiress against the wall, hands around her knees.

"Hinata-sama! Are you alright?" She nodded and Kō walked over and helped her up. "What happened?"

"A-a m-man kidnapped m-me and tr-tried to e-escape with m-me, but I-I got a-away," she answered, poking her index fingers together and not looking at Kō for the fear he could catch the lie. He nodded, though, and scanned the alley with his Byakugan. Nothing but a mouse nibbling on some trash and a cat stalking it.

"Let's go, Hinata-sama," Kō took hold of Hinata's hand and led her out of the alley.

A minute after they were gone, the cat pounced on the mouse and bit it. "OW! SON OF A BITCH!" The mouse turned into the clone who now had an angry cat with its teeth sunk into the clone's neck. "Let go, you flea-bitten monster!" The cat released, but then worked the clone over with its claws. "OW! OW! OW!" With a _poof!_, the clone disappeared.

**This is a reward for people who read this. The next chapter is their first C-Rank. Now, it won't be a Wave Arc-like mission; that will come later. And: How a transformation could fool the Byakugan, my theory at least: The user can see the shapes of objects and animals at first, but to actually determine what kind of chakra it has the user needs to concentrate. If the user feels no need to concentrate, the user can be fooled.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hmm, thanks for the reviews, people. Here's the new chapter.**

**_Chapter 6_**

"Target two meters in front of me. Kitsune, report?"

"Roger that, Snipe. Have visual on target. Omni, you?"

"I have the target in sight. Nothing escapes my eyes."

"Alright team. Leader here. Move in slowly. Snipe, don't try to kill it. Again."

"I could paralyze it-,"

"That would _so _much better." Guy rolled his eyes and took his finger off of the transmitter. Time to see how they did. He was crouched comfortably on a tree near the three of them, all of whom were hidden very well.

"Alright, I'm the stealthiest one here-,"

"That's yet to be determined, Kitsune-san."

"Shut it, Omni-teme. Anyway, I sneak around and flush it toward you-,"

"Are you trying to get us killed!?"

"No, Snipe. You have the bag?"

"Yeah."

"Then use it."

"Screw off. I knew that."

"Anyone hear the inner blonde coming out of her?"

"Kitsune, I swear, I will release that demon of a pet on you if you-,"

"Team 9!"

"Hai!" A shadow crept out of a bush underneath Guy, and, by the hair, it was Naruto. He crawled on his stomach toward a crouched figure in the middle of a clearing about six feet ahead of him. It seemed to be investigating something in front of it, its head down to the ground. Naruto slowly circled around the figure. At one moment, it seemed to have sensed him as it raised its nose and sniffed the wind. The blonde froze and then relaxed when the figure looked back down.

"Alright, when I give the signal…" whispered Naruto. He raised a closed fist and waited for a moment. He then unclenched it and waved them forward as he rose and bolted toward the figure. "C'MERE! You effing demon!" shouted Naruto, starting it and causing to dart in the direction of the emerging Neji and TenTen. As it saw them, the figure lunged and lashed out with sharp claws, catching both of their cheeks.

"Damn cat!" yelled TenTen. Neji's eyes, with his dojutsu active, twitched as he followed the figure, which was exactly what TenTen said what it was: a cat. She pounced with a bag in her hands and pinned the pet, which turned and started to claw at her. "Ack! A little help would be nice!" Neji rushed over and clamped down on the bag, earning him a few scratches on the arms. He picked it up and twisted the opening, effectively trapping the malicious cat inside.

"You guys okay?" shouted Naruto, jumping down from a nearby branch. TenTen glared at him.

"You really are trying to get us killed, aren't you?" she deadpanned.

"What? No! What makes you say that?" asked Naruto innocently, the wording making him seem guilty.

"Alright, that's it! I'm gonna strangle you in your sleep tonight! I swear on it!"

Naruto was silent, as was Neji. Finally, Neji asked confusedly, "TenTen-san, you know where Uzumaki-san sleeps?" A creepy look flashed across the girl's face, and Naruto very nearly went to the bathroom in his pants. Then she gave a joking grin and a loud laugh.

"You should've seen the looks on your faces!" she cried, holding her sides. Naruto, still slightly disturbed, scooted away from her. Neji, irritated at being played, snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Well, team, if TenTen is done, why don't we head back to Hokage Tower?" asked Guy, coming out from the bushes around them. The blonde nodded, deciding to lock everything that could be locked inside his apartment tonight. Neji simply decided to never tease TenTen.

With the cat struggling in the bag, the team made their out of the forest and out into the village. It was still early morning, having taken the mission in place of individual training. Naruto looked back at his sensei. "Hey, Guy-sensei, are we gonna take another mission?"

"Probably. I might try to get us a C-rank though," replied Guy.

TenTen stopped and made puppy eyes at him. "Really? Something besides these chores?"

Guy laughed. "Yes. We've gone on about seven Ds, so a single C should do. I guess all of you know about the ranking of missions?" All of them nodded; it was a simple alphabetical ranking from D to A, and then after A, S.

Naruto frowned and voiced his thoughts. "Sensei, I know we've been on seven missions, but they _were_ chores like TenTen says. No real experience gained. Do you think we're ready? Not that I don't mind, but C-ranks are where people could possibly die."

TenTen punched him on the head. "Are you being a scaredy-cat, Naruto?"

"No, just cautious."

"Same difference."

"When there is a possibility of dying, I don't want to go charging in before I'm ready."

TenTen hmphed and refused to look at Naruto, who shook his head exasperatedly and glanced at Guy, who said, "To answer your question, Naruto: yes, I think we are ready. TenTen has her staff and whatever she's worked with during her spare time, and you have the Iron Fist and Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"You forgot Neji-teme."

"I have no need for your concern, Uzumaki-san," stated Neji coldly.

Naruto threw him an irritated look, and Guy spoke before the Hyuuga could, "Neji will be fine. As he would say: 'Nothing escapes my eyes.'" Neji smirked, and Naruto nodded, understanding.

All of the team had differing perspectives on the upcoming mission only a half-hour's walk away. TenTen was ecstatic; she believed that this mission would get her out of the village and into the real world. Naruto was still worrying; even on C-ranks, something could go wrong. Neji was indifferent. He would perform as expected of him.

A noise from behind them halted them, and all turned to see Touza smiling. "Hey, Naruto-san! Guy-san! TenTen-san! Erm…guy with weird eyes-san." For some reason, Touza had trouble remembering Neji's name, even it was the simplest after Guy's. It annoyed Neji to no end, and Naruto had a sneaking suspicion that Touza purposely called him a different name each time.

The Hyuuga's eyebrows twitched, and Naruto and TenTen laughed. Guy smiled. "So how long have you been following us?"

The boy grinned. This was a little game Guy had made for him; the goal was to remain undetected by them as long as possible, or as long Touza could hold out. "I tracked Naruto from his house-by the way, you must get up _way_ early by the tracks-and found you following something in the forest. Then I followed you here. I was starting to get bored, so I made a sound on purpose."

Guy smiled and _tch_ed playfully. "You really are a prodigy at moving silently."

"It's not hard. I just cover up my sounds with yours."

The Jonin shook his head. It was so much more than that; that trick didn't work on ninja his level. "No Academy today?"

"Nope! Today's Origin Day, remember?" Origin Day was the day celebrating the founding of the Leaf. It wasn't the most exciting celebration, but every year they had fireworks, stands of old-style masks, and game booths. The Hokage would give a speech to start off the festival, and then the villagers would enjoy the rest of the night. Naruto had been once or twice, mainly just wandering around as he never had enough money for any stand or booth.

Guy scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Is really today? Must've slipped my mind…"

Naruto cleared his throat. "Anyway, Touza, it's been nice, but we gotta get back to Hokage Tower to report."

"You had a chore again? Are those really missions?" asked Touza, puzzled.

Naruto smiled devilishly. He took the bag holding the cat from Neji and held it in front of the boy. "Actually, we caught a dangerous demon today. It was attacking everyone in sight, so they had to send strong ninja to capture it, and the Hokage picked us."

Touza's eyes were wide. "Really? Can you show me?"

Naruto grinned wickedly and poked the bag. It started to pitch back and forth as the cat began to move violently, and loud hissing was heard from inside. Touza was awed by it. "Wow, it must've put up a fight."

"It did, but we caught it!" Naruto handed the bag back to Neji, who glared at him. "Anyway, we've got to back to Hokage Tower and let them deal with it. You could walk with us, if that's okay." The blonde looked at Guy who shrugged. Civilians were certainly allowed in the Hokage Tower, but usually none had a good reason to go. Touza bounced up exuberantly, and the group walked to their destination.

Finally, Team 9 was at the door to Mission Report, and Guy opened it and ushered them in. The Hokage was sitting at the table, as was Iruka. "Iruka-sensei!" greeted Naruto, waving. "This is my first time seeing you here!"

Iruka grinned. "I have the day off from the Academy, so I thought I might volunteer here." He examined the rest of the group. "So this is your team…Let me guess, TenTen," he pointed at TenTen, who nodded, "Neji," the Hyuuga regarded him unemotionally," and…" Iruka frowned at Touza, who was gaping at the Hokage.

Iruka furrowed his brow. "Erm, Naruto? Is this kid a part of your team?"

The blonde laughed. "No. This is Touza. I think I forgot to tell you about him. He likes to come by our lessons and watch. Not to mention follow us like a ghost."

Touza started at the sound of his name. "Huh? What?"

"C'mon Touza. Quit staring at Hokage-ji and starting listening," teased Naruto good-naturedly. Touza punched him in the arm. Iruka smiled at the two. They were obviously close.

The Hokage, who had been talking to a Chunin next to him, turned his attention to Team 9. Guy stepped forward, and the rest, even Touza, fell into line behind him. "Hokage-sama," began Guy, bowing, "Team 9 has successfully completed their assigned mission. Can you call in the client?"

The Hokage nodded and motioned toward a ninja near the door, who nodded and opened it. He said something to someone on the other side, and the immediate squeal of delight made all of them wince. A large lady knocked over the ninja and barreled straight for the bag, which was held by Neji. He seemed to inwardly lament his luck before he threw the bag into the air.

The lady caught and opened it, and she pulled out an unhappy-looking cat with a red bow tied to its ear. She hugged it, or crushed according to the cat's face, and kissed it several times. "Tora, baby! Never leave mama again!" Touza looked accusingly at Naruto, who grinned back sheepishly. She exited, dragging the cat back with her.

"Good riddance," said TenTen. The others nodded.

"Now," said the Hokage, getting their attention, "for your next mission, there are errands to be run, babysitting, pulling weeds…"

Guy cleared his throat. "If I may Hokage-sama-," The loud bang of the door being slammed opened interrupted him, and they turned to see Anko and Team 6. Lee waved energetically when he saw Guy, and Tomitsu, his hair cropped close now, nodded respectfully. Yakumo smiled.

"Alright, Hokage-sama, that dumb mission is done, when can you give us a-," Anko stopped, seeing there was another team in the room. "Oh hey, Guy."

"You were saying, Guy-san?" asked the Hokage, pulling out his pipe and lighting it.

"I was going to ask if my team could receive a C-rank mission, Hokage-sama," said Guy, he and TenTen crossing their fingers. The Hokage seemed to consider it, but Iruka intervened.

"Absolutely not! You've only gone on seven missions! That's not even close to the number that Genin usually have before they are assigned a C-rank!" argued Iruka fiercely. He was also slightly worried about Naruto's safety. In fact, the blonde seemed to be agreeing with him.

"My thought exactly."

"Naruto, shut up!" TenTen hit him in the back of the head again.

"OW! Dammit, TenTen! Quit hitting me!"

"Then be quiet!"

"I was just agreeing!"

"Doesn't matter!"

While the two of them bickered for the second time today, Guy nervously stood at attention the Hokage. Anko piped up, "Hokage-sama, while you're at it, can you give me a C-rank?" Tomitsu, who was watching Naruto and TenTen's argument with small smile, heard it and looked over.

"That would be most agreeable if you would do so, Hokage-sama," remarked Tomitsu in a well-cultured, surprisingly deep voice. Yakumo nodded, and Lee pumped his fists to accentuate the fact. Hokage seemed to think for another minute, even though it wasn't needed. He had been thinking it was getting close to the time the teams would be asking for more difficult missions, and had decided if they asked, he would provide.

"Alright," he replied, "Guy, straighten up your team." Guy nodded and whipped out two of his signature green jumpsuits.

"Naruto, TenTen. If you don't stop, you'll wear these jumpsuits for the rest of the day," threatened Guy, waggling his eyebrows. The blonde and TenTen glared at each other before turning and giving their full attention to the Hokage. Neither wanted to be caught dead in one of those things.

The old man nodded and began to sift through papers. "I'll assign both of you a C-rank mission. I think it's about time."

"What!?" exclaimed Iruka, "They don't have enough-,"

"I know the nature of your objections, Iruka, but…," the Hokage pulled out two papers, "These two teams will travel together until they have to separate due to mission circumstances to ensure safety." Iruka still looked uncomfortable and would've argued if this wasn't the Hokage.

The Hokage's eyes scanned the documents. "There have been reports about a bandit camp northeast of Tanzaku Town," He looked at Team 9, "Your mission is to destroy it. Team 6, your mission is southwest of Tanzaku Town. A simple patrol to clear bandits from the main road. Is this agreeable?" Both teams nodded. "Good. Set a time and place for departure. Here is the paperwork."

He handed both Anko and Guy a sheet of paper which they signed. Anko turned to her team, "Alright brats, meet at the Konoha Gate two hours from now. Pack for an overnight mission." Lee saluted, and both Tomitsu and Yakumo nodded.

"Team 9," started Guy, "Same time, same place as Team 6. You shouldn't have to pack, though I'd advise it. We should make it back here by sundown if we travel fast enough." All three of them nodded. TenTen was grinning, and Naruto was blank-faced, as was Neji. "Alright, get to it!"

Approximately an hour and a half later, Naruto arrived at the entry gate. Tomitsu was there, leaning against the wall with arms crossed. Lee was off to the side doing push-ups and sit-ups with the encouragement of Guy, and Neji stood silently near the guard post.

The blonde went to sit beside the young samurai, who glanced at him as he came closer. Tomitsu acknowledged him with a nod, as did Naruto. The blonde sat down, and the pair was silent for a few minutes. However, Naruto broke it. "You know, you are way too tall."

The other smiled. "I hear that often." He uncrossed his arms, and Naruto noticed something new.

"Hey, where'd you get those arm guards?" Tomitsu looked down at his forearms. A plate of metal with leather straps was tied to each forearm, and the metal seemed to be engraved with faint, indiscernible etchings.

"I returned to my home and equipped these. I thought I would need them," He looked down at his legs, "I also have shin guards." Indeed he did, and they too appeared to be made in the exact same style as the arm guards. Naruto's eyebrows rose.

"Huh, wonder how they'll do in combat."

Tomitsu shrugged. "I intend to determine that fact today."

Anko showed up about ten minutes later, swearing loudly about men in general. Yakumo arrived not long after her, and with Team 6 assembled, they grouped in front of Anko. TenTen appeared with about three minutes to spare, panting loudly. "Sorry. Had to. Get a few. Things," she breathed, clutching her side.

"About time, TenTen."

"Shut it blondie."

"Team 9!" called Guy. They lined up, backs straight. Nearby, Anko similarly called out the name of her team, and received the same reaction except Lee added a salute. "Move out!"

* * *

The group traveled on a dirt road for a while, the Genin in front, the senseis in the back conversing. Neji had activated his Byakugan and was scanning ahead. Guy tried to make small talk with the Snake Mistress. "So, Anko-san, how is your training of the team going?"

She paused before replying, "Well, Princess over there is a damn beast at genjutsu but can't do jack in anything else. Though I've done all I could." And it showed; Yakumo looked fitter compared to the time she passed the Genin Exam, but unfortunately she still lacked the power needed for even basic taijutsu.

"Bushy Brows, of course, gets training from you, and I try to up his flexibility with snake dodging, but he just usually punches their skulls in." Anko shook her head, "I don't know how the hell you do it, but you can make some damn strong people."

"His determination has a lot to do with it, not to mention he has no choice. He can't use chakra after all." The subject of Lee branched off into another one. "How's Tomitsu doing? I've heard he can't use chakra either."

Anko sighed, irritably. "Actually, he can use chakra just _fine_." She glowered in the direction of the samurai's back. Guy raised an eyebrow, and she explained further, "He can use chakra, but outright refuses to do any ninjutsu or genjutsu. He sticks to only kenjutsu and taijutsu. I've tried to ask him why he's such an asshole about that, and he says using jutsu is against his _bushido._ Complete bullshit, of course."

Guy frowned. "That's awfully old-fashioned, before the time samurai and ninja were allies."

Anko nodded. "And it really gets on my nerves. Sometimes I'd like to strangle him."

"Can he tree-walk then, since he can use chakra?"

"Oh, yeah, and he can do a lot of other damn things that require chakra but aren't ninjutsu. I'm kinda hoping to see what he can do in combat for real. Dodging gigantic venomous snakes is one thing; a bandit is another."

Up ahead, Naruto was getting bored. Neji hadn't uttered a word for the hour they had been walking, TenTen and Yakumo were giggling about something, Lee was busy running laps around their group, and Tomitsu wasn't one to talk.

He sighed, pulled a slip of paper and a pen from his pack, and began to draw a storage seal, like one of ten in his pack. Why he had ten was mystifying to everyone, but the fact was he drew them faster than he could use, so they tended to gather in his pack. His tongue poked out as he concentrated on making the dimensions of the seal perfect.

"Naruto-san, what are you doing?" asked Tomitsu, looking at the confusing set of symbols on the paper. Naruto, deep in thought, didn't hear and continued to draw. Tomitsu blinked and waited. He repeated his question, louder this time, and the blonde jumped.

"Huh? What?"

"What are you doing, Naruto-san?"

"Erm," he looked at the half-finished seal, "making a storage seal."

"Pardon?"

"It's something that can hold a large amount of things without taking up much space. It could also hold your sword and you wouldn't feel the weight."

Tomitsu's eyebrows shot up. "This storage seal sounds very useful, but," Tomitsu patted the hilt of his katana, "I appreciate my heritage and choose represent it wherever I go. No offense taken, I hope."

Naruto grinned. "From what? You wanna look badass, go ahead."

"I didn't state it that vulgarly-,"

"You meant it though." Tomitsu smiled amusedly and shook his head. "Can't blame you," continued Naruto, "If I was that tall and had a sword, I'd sure as hell be showing it off."

"I'm pleased you understand my perspective, Naruto-san, though I can see the implications of hiding my blade. The element of surprise is a most powerful ally." Naruto nodded, liking him and his words. Not many would think of storage seals to surprise their enemies, but Tomitsu sounded like he knew plenty about combat situations.

"You're smarter than you look-,"

"Senseis," Neji's voice cut through the air, "Group of twenty bandits, three hundred meters ahead." The group halted.

"Reaffirm?" asked Guy. Neji scoped in again, mentally counting the meters, and recounted the bandits. He nodded.

"Reaffirmed."

"Senseis, should we prepare to face them?" said Lee, saluting.

Tomitsu shook his head, and Naruto said, "No. If we appear that we know of their presence, they may prematurely ambush us." He frowned thoughtfully. "We could remove our headbands, though our headbands may prove enough intimidation to ward them off. If they have the slightest amount of sense."

Guy spoke up, "Keep the headbands."

The blonde nodded. Tomitsu added his two cents, "Keep your weapon close and body loose in the occurrence they do attack." He loosened his katana in its sheath, and Lee cricked his neck and placed his hands near his holster, where Naruto guessed his spiked knuckles were. TenTen organized her holster without looking at it, making sure scrolls and projectiles were separate.

"Ready, brats?" asked Anko impatiently. All of the Genin glanced at each other and nodded. "Finally. Move out!" They started off again, Neji unwillingly deactivating his dojutsu. The Byakugan would be useful in keeping tabs on the enemy, but it was visible from a distance.

At about two hundred and ninety meters later, they whipped around to a sound of bushes being pushed aside. A whooping cry erupted from the forest around them, and twenty feral-looking men burst out and surrounded them. Most wielded axes or bladed staffs, but the leader, who had a wreath of eagle feathers on his head, wielded a katana.

The leader grinned maniacally. "Looks like we got some fresh meat!" He leered at TenTen and Yakumo. "Before we have our fun though, we want what you got!"

"We have nothing," stated Tomitsu, hands twitching near his katana's hilt.

"Bullshit! Ninjas are always loaded with something, and six brats is a chance too good to pass up!" Tomitsu and Naruto exchanged a confused look. '_Six?'_ They all turned to look at their senseis, and only saw empty space. The others followed their gaze.

Everyone was silent for a second until TenTen deadpanned, "Well, that's not good."

In the forest near the ring of bandits, Guy squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm not too sure about this, Anko-san." Anko, who sat in a tree watching the scene, looked down irritably at him.

"What? The brats gotta know that the grown-ups aren't gonna be there all the time."

"I know, but they could die here-,"

"Well, if anything happens, we'll jump in. Simple as that. Now just shut up and watch." Guy heaved a surrendering sigh, and gazed upon the unfolding fight in front of him.

"Heh-heh, you're really screwed, brats," laughed the leader. He grinned lecherously, "Though if you give us the girls, we might just let you pass."

Naruto and Neji stepped in front of TenTen, and Tomitsu and Lee did the same to Yakumo. "Go to hell!" snarled Naruto.

"Not a chance," stated Neji coldly.

"I will protect Yakumo!" shouted Lee, shaking a fist at the leader.

"We do not agree to your terms," replied Tomitsu flatly.

The bandit rolled his eyes. "Looks like we gotta kill ya." He lifted a hand to signal the attack, but Tomitsu stopped him, hand on hilt.

"I will kill you before you give the signal."

"I don't think so, big guy. I'm the fastest with the katana in the whole Fire Country."

The young samurai's eyes narrowed. "You are not worthy to wield so noble a blade." He made as if to take a step toward the leader, whose mouth opened to issue a war cry, but all that came out was a startled gurgle. Naruto's eyes widened as Tomitsu vanished and reappeared behind the leader, katana still in its sheath. He finished his step forward and turned to regard the rest of the bandits in a calculating fashion.

* * *

"**Flash Step**," said Anko proudly as Guy's jaw dropped.

* * *

"Wha?" uttered one of the stunned bandits. The leader looked puzzled as blood poured from his mouth. He choked, and the others watched in a fascinated horror as his torso fell backward away from the rest of the body. The legs held up grotesquely for a moment before they too fell.

Blood pooled around the body, and one of the bandits squeaked, "Attack?"

"Are you fuckin' insane!? That guy could kill us in a blink!" demanded another, grabbing the speaker and shaking him.

"B-b-b-b-b-,"

"But nothing! I'm out!" The bandit disappeared into the woods shouting curses. The others looked uncertain, and one desperately charged Naruto with his axe, shouting a battle cry. Naruto frowned as the bandit seemed to move in slow motion. He sidestepped an axe swipe and punched him in the gut, causing him to bend over his fist. The blonde grabbed his head and then slammed it down on his knee.

The bandit flew unconscious out of the ring, the rest of his companions' eyes following him. They looked fearfully at the Genins, and then they all scrambled to get away. "Run for it!" Team 9 and 6 watched as several bandits collided and rolled over each other in attempts to run. Soon, the road was clear except for the out-cold man, and Anko and Guy walked out of the forest, much to the irritation to their Genin.

"Where the hell were you!?" demanded TenTen.

Anko applauded, ignoring her. "Well done, brats. I'm proud of you and a bit disappointed that there wasn't any real fighting." She looked over at Tomitsu. "You alright?" The samurai, who had been studying his kill, glanced up.

"I'm fine. I have killed before." Anko studied him for a long minute.

"You aren't lying, are you?"

"I have no reason to lie. Why lie about such a sin?" asked Tomitsu, retightening his sheath. Anko shook her head. Guy and the others looked at the young samurai nervously, as if he would attack. Yakumo made as if she would try to comfort Tomitsu, but he brushed her off. "I'm fine, Yakumo-san. I need not comforting words or gestures." She nodded, watching him concernedly.

"I'm just worried, that's all," she whispered. Lee put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, and she gave a small smile.

"I understand your worry, Yakumo-san, but it is misplaced," said Tomitsu. He turned toward the senseis. "Are we to go?" TenTen, who had been silent, spoke up angrily.

"How the hell can you be so unfeeling? You just killed! Not a tear? Not anything? What's wrong with you?"

Tomitsu gazed at her, a hint of sadness evident in his eyes. "The first is forever the hardest. The second, painful. The third, numb…" He considered the body lying to the side of the road, "The tenth, nothing is felt."

"You…don't feel _anything_?" demanded TenTen. "You're not some mass murderer or something-,"

"Mass murderers do not commit their horrors by their own hand, but rather their pawn's. It dilutes the numbing effect. But I am the judge, jury," he laid a hand on his blade, "and executioner to the people I kill. I sense the life force leaving their bodies as I plunge my blade into their heart."

Naruto swallowed, his throat dry. TenTen was speechless, and Neji felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: pity. "You can't mean that, do you?" asked Yakumo.

"Every word, but have this consolation: I do not relish killing. It is a horrid act that I wish to abhor, but at times it is necessary. I am just efficient." He shook his head tiredly. "I don't wish to speak more. Please leave me be."

TenTen would've said something, but a sharp glance from Anko silenced her. Guy motioned for them to continue, and the group traveled on in silence. The blonde casted glances back at the young samurai, who seemed to be unaffected by his act, just like he said. '_He really wasn't lying.'_ Naruto shivered. God help him if he reached such a state.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when the two teams parted at a branch in the road. Lee and Yakumo waved as they went their way, and Tomitsu offered his hand to Naruto, who looked at it perplexedly. He shook it slowly and met the other's eye. "It was pleasant to meet you, Naruto-san, however short it was."

The blonde grinned slightly. "Likewise, and I'm never gonna get used to looking this far up."

Tomitsu chuckled, a good sign. He nodded, and Team 6 slowly disappeared down the path. The group watched them until they were out of sight, and Naruto shook his head. "I swear; I don't know whether to respect the guy or be scared shitless of him."

"I take it you're referring to Tomitsu-san?" asked Neji. The blonde nodded. "Likewise."

"Sheesh, he scares you too, teme? Looks like we got something in common."

"That is the only thing."

"True." Naruto turned towards Guy. "Just how close are we to the camp?" The Jonin, who seemed distracted, jerked.

"Eh? Oh, we're close enough. Neji should have it in sight in about an hour or so." The blonde nodded, and TenTen muttered something unintelligible, which apparently Naruto heard, and the two began to bicker. Guy couldn't hear, however, as he replayed the conversation he had had with Anko.

_"__Ten kills? He's only fourteen!" said Guy disbelievingly as Anko regarded the silent young man in front of them._

_"__I know, dammit. Don't remind me," growled Anko, "and now I know for sure."_

_"__What do you mean by that?"_

_Anko rubbed her temples. "He told me well before this mission that he'd killed nine people, the first at the age of seven. I didn't believe him because I though he was damn brag, but now…," She shrugged, "I can't not believe it. He doesn't feel a thing."_

_"__Wait-he told you? Why didn't you believe him?" demanded Guy._

_"__If a fourteen year-old brat came to you and said that he had killed nine damn people, would you believe him?" Before the other could answer, "No, you wouldn't."_

_Guy looked away. After a minute, "At the age of seven? Where? Why?"_

_"__Quite a story. You might want to get ready."_

_"__I can handle it," stated Guy confidently._

_"__First off, do you know where Tomitsu is from?"_

_"__Land of Iron, right?" Even though Tomitsu wasn't his student, Guy had read his dossier in case he had been selected as such._

_"__Yeah, him and his dad came to the Leaf about seven years ago. His mother is apparently still in Iron. Helluva walk. Iron is north of even the Land of Earth. Anyway, he told me that on the way here, they were attacked. His dad fought most of them off, but one got by him and Tomitsu had to kill him, but the guy gave him that scar on his face before Tomitsu ended it." Anko shook her head. "He told it so plainly, like he had gone out to get some damn groceries. He creeps me out. ME, of all people."_

_"__This happened at seven? Where did the others come from?"_

_She shrugged. "He didn't say exactly, but he said others came from other attacks on the way here and others from…things he called exercises. I asked him about that, and he won't say jack. But I have a bad feeling about them."_

_'__Exercises?' _thought Guy, '_What does that mean?'_ As Anko had, Guy doubted these 'exercises' were positive in nature.

"Sensei? You alright? You look a little…pale," asked TenTen, pulling away from Naruto. The Jonin started for the second time, and cursed himself inwardly.

"I'm fine. Thanks, TenTen," he replied. She nodded, the bickering stopping for the moment. Neji hadn't stopped scanning with his dojutsu, and he remained silent. Naruto stifled a yawn as the day wore on. Guy smirked. The camp was most likely nearer than the blonde thought.

And as Guy expected, Neji spoke a minute later. "I see the camp, or at least the outer wall." After another minute of walking, "I can see all of the camp now. There are about thirty people inside its walls. Twenty or so tents are inside." He looked pointedly at the Jonin. "This isn't going to be easy."

Guy nodded. "I know. Any suggestions?"

TenTen shrugged. "Can we go charging in there? There's only thirty."

Naruto rolled his eyes "Not a good idea. Even though these guys are probably Academy-level and we're fully-trained ninja, number will eventually prevail."

"So no?"

"Definitely." The blonde turned to Neji. "How many you say?"

"Thirty, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto hmmed and tapped his nose. "Any of you got any explosive tags?"

"Yeah, but I only have ten tags," replied TenTen. Neji shook his head.

"I've got five," said Naruto, "Damn not enough."

"Don't forget that I'm here," reminded Guy, pulling out fifteen more tags.

"So that makes thirty. Good."

TenTen piped up, "Why thirty? There are only twenty tents."

"The wall has to go down. Neji, can you scan for any supporting structures?"

The Hyuuga nodded. Naruto explained his plan. "I'm going to create about fifty clones and have them charge the front to distract and take out as many bandits as they can. We could climb the wall-,"

"Just how tall is the wall, anyway?" asked TenTen. Naruto snapped his fingers; he had forgotten to ask Neji that. He waited until Neji finished his assignment.

"There are six major structures supporting the wall. I could bring them down if you were to give me six tags." Naruto nodded.

"One more thing: how tall is the wall?"

"Twenty feet high, Uzumaki-san."

"Thanks, and for the record, called me Naruto-san or something."

"I decline, Uzumaki-san," replied Neji, smirking.

"Whatever you say, teme."

TenTen was nodding. "Twenty feet…we could get up it with tree climbing." Over the past few weeks, they had all taken about thirty minutes out of training to practice it. By now, their techniques were flawless. The blonde smiled.

"That's what I had in mind. Once inside, we plant the tags on each tent and structure. Then we get out and detonate them. Hopefully, it will cripple the camp long enough for local officials to get a handle on this."

TenTen grinned, excitement filling the air around her. Neji looked at Naruto, who created fifty clones. "How far until the entrance?" asked the blonde, looking toward the Hyuuga away from his clones.

"One hundred meters. There are ten meters of empty space between the camp and forest."

"Excellent." He addressed his clones. "You know the plan. Keep to the forest until the clearing and then charge the gate. Understood?"

"Hai!" All of his clones saluted, and Guy smiled. For beginners, this team sure could come up with viable plans. Neji pointed in the general direction of the camp, and the clones rushed into the forest. The Hyuuga turned and motioned for the rest of them to follow him. They ran for about half a minute, and Neji soon held up a fist to halt them.

They were facing a straight vertical wall made out of logs. Smoke from fires was visible through the trees' foliage, and through gaps in the wall Naruto could glimpse an open entrance at the other side. "The clones haven't broken their cover. Wait," said Neji. An eerie silence followed. "They've gotten to the forest bordering the clearing. They're out in the open." An alarm rang from the camp, and shouting was heard from the entrance.

"Go!" The team, including Guy, rushed and ran up the wall, pulling themselves over the edge. Naruto handed Neji six tags, and the Hyuuga hurried to plant them. The blonde and TenTen tagged the nearest tents, Guy shadowing them. The Jonin was apprehensive about not following Neji, but he justified that he could take care until they arrived.

Naruto counted the number of clones dispelled as he tagged a tent. '_Thirty-five left, and about twenty-five bandits left conscious. Good, the distraction should hold.'_ He tagged another, and felt a huge surge of memories come in. '_Bomb? Crap, now twenty clones left._'

"How are the clones doing?" asked TenTen.

"A bomb went off among them. About…well, now fifteen left. About twenty bandits are conscious."

"We better hurry." The blonde nodded. After a few tense seconds of silent tag-placing, Neji appeared from between the tents.

"The paper bombs are set. How many do you have left?"

"Ten. Here." Naruto handed the rest to the Hyuuga, who nodded curtly and darted off. Guy looked to Naruto, who motioned for TenTen to follow him. "We might want to warn the residents of the danger. I don't want any to be killed."

The three ran towards the sound of battle outside of the camp, and arrived to see the last clone dispel. Twenty bandits still stood, and all looked angry. One caught sight of them and pointed in their direction. "Hey! Damn ninja brats did this! Kill them!"

Naruto stepped forward. "If you kill me, your entire camp goes up in flames. I would suggest you leave," he stated coldly. The bandit growled.

"And if you're lying?"

Naruto spread his hands. "Then you keep your tents. If you're wrong, however…" He didn't need to finish. TenTen waved a paper bomb in front of them, and the group paled markedly. "You decide. I could give you back the place if you leave, but…" He smiled nastily.

"We'll go, if you agree to not blow the place. That a deal?" asked one of the bandits. A murmur of consent rustled through the crowd, and Neji arrived at the scene, dojutsu deactivated.

"I have finished."

"Excellent." Naruto turned his attention back to the group. "It's a deal. Go into the forest and stay there until dark. Then return." The bandits nodded, and slowly made their way into the forest, the ones able enough picking up their fallen comrades. Naruto shook his head as they faded. "Idiots. **KATSU**!"

A series of explosions resounded through the air, and huge plumes of smoke and fire erupted from inside the walls, which creaked ominously before crashing down. A cry came from the forest, and then multiple roars of anger as the bandits stormed back. TenTen threw smoke bombs at the group and shouted, "C'mon, let's get outta here!"

Naruto, however, stood his ground and created a massive number of clones. They easily outnumbered the bandits five to one, and, as the smoke cleared, the outlaws gaped at the battalion. "Go. _Now,"_ said Naruto, his voice carrying over to them. They nodded, backed up until they had reached the edge, and then made a scramble for it.

The blonde turned and grinned at his teammates as the last vestiges of the group disappeared. "That was fun." TenTen nodded, smiling.

"I love explosions. Man, that wall sure did come down fast…" Naruto nodded and laughed as she recounted the scene, and Neji was looking away impatiently. Guy was also smiling; all in all an accomplished mission, but the blonde couldn't shake the feeling of eeriness. Something was going to happen.

"And then Neji came and…" continued TenTen enthusiastically, and Naruto looked in the Hyuuga's direction as he looked up. Naruto's eye widened as his mouth opened.

"Neji! MOVE!" Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion. A bandit, badly-burned, lifted his axe to kill Neji. Guy started toward him, but even the blonde could see it was going to be too late. Neji turned to try to defend himself, and TenTen grabbed a kunai from her pack and lunged with it.

She slit the bandit's throat, blood spurting across her hands. The bandit fell with a choking sound, and then gave one last gasp before he died. Neji was frozen looking at her. "TenTen-san, are you alright?"

TenTen was breathing heavily, clutching her knees. She looked to the body and retched. "God…the explosions did this…" She retched again.

"TenTen-san, are you alright?" asked Neji. She looked at him wildly and then at her hand, the blood glistening. She closed her eyes, face whitening and body starting to shake. "TenTen-san, are you alright?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you-,"

She pulled him into tight embrace, sobbing into his shoulder. Neji seemed taken aback, and looked confused about what to do. He awkwardly returned the embrace, and Naruto and Guy knelt by the body.

Naruto glanced at the two worriedly before saying the Guy. "Hope she's alright."

"She will be. As Tomitsu said, the first kill is always the hardest." Guy gestured to the body. "Looks like this guy was still in the camp when it exploded. He must've been mad with pain and rage."

Naruto nodded. TenTen had quieted by then, now just holding tightly to Neji. She kept mouthing something that the Hyuuga couldn't make out, and he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I'm sorry…" she whispered. She put her forehead against his shoulder. "Please forgive me." She kept repeating it, over and over endlessly.

"TenTen," said Neji clearly, startling her out of her mantra. She looked up at him, her expression dismal. "You saved me. Remember that. You did what you had to do."

"But-,"

"He has a point, TenTen," said Guy, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You kept a teammate alive. That's the important thing."

"But I killed him! You don't understand!" screamed TenTen, her emotions in turmoil.

"I understand. I have killed, and I still remember my first. It never gets easy."

She buried herself into Neji's shoulder, not yet realizing who it was. Her voice was muffled. "It's easy for Tomitsu."

"Tomitsu is…special. The fact you can feel something is a positive sign though."

"I'd rather feel nothing at all!"

"And become like Tomitsu?" She hiccupped and shook her head. "Believe me when I say this: it is better to feel pain than not to."

She was silent for a minute, her breathing slowing, and Naruto realized she had fallen asleep. "Uh, TenTen?" A light snore answered him, and Guy smiled.

"Looks like she's asleep. I'll carry her-,"

"I can do it," said Neji, picking up TenTen on his back, his expression unreadable. He waited for any objections, but the other two were surprised he had even offered. "Let's move."

It was sunset when they reached the fork where they had departed with Team 6. TenTen had slept the entire time, muttering in her sleep. When they reached the fork, however, she whispered, "You can let me down now, Neji." He nodded, and slowly slid her off his back. She stumbled onto the ground and gripped his shoulder for support. She blushed.

"Sorry."

"It's fine." TenTen nodded, the blush still on her face, which still bore traces of sadness. Naruto smiled at her, and she returned it weakly.

"Can you walk the rest of the way?" asked Guy concernedly.

"Yeah."

The moon was out when the village gate finally came into view. Naruto sighed, relieved. "Thank God. We're here." He looked up at the sky. "Hope we didn't miss the-," A firework streamed into the air and exploded, sounding much like a paper bomb. TenTen gazed up as the sparks dissipated; the next was reflected in her eyes.

"I've always loved the fireworks," she murmured, "but now…they sound too much like explosions." Neji looked at her. She had her head hung, looking at the ground. She lifted her head and met his eyes for what seemed like an hour. She broke it by looking back up at another firework going off.

"TenTen." She looked back at Neji. "Don't let this affect your life." She nodded emptily. Soon, when they were inside the village, Guy addressed them.

"It's too late to turn in the report that I've yet to write. Report to the Hokage Tower at 9:00 in the morning. Then you have rest of the day off." They nodded.

Naruto waved as he walked in the direction of his apartment. "Bye, Neji…I'm too tired to call you teme. And TenTen, be strong, OK?" She smiled wanly. Guy jumped onto the rooftops and waved before he too disappeared, leaving TenTen and Neji.

"Bye, Neji." She took a few steps toward her house before she halted. "Sorry about today."

"There is no need, TenTen," reassured Neji, "You saved me, remember?"

**Annnnnnd done. Hmm, not a bad chapter. Some NejiTen and a bit about Tomitsu the OC. His character is going to be revealed slowly. Anyway, please review or something. I've only got ten reviews! I'd like some more! Not that I have anything against people who have reviewed before, but 6 chapters and ten reviews…oh well. Toodles.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, thanks for the reviews. Here's the new chapter. Enjoy.**

**_Chapter 7_**

TenTen stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom. She had been wide awake ever since she had surfaced from a disturbing dream of flowing blood and unknown guilt. Not that it was actually unknown; she knew perfectly well what she was guilty of. She sighed heavily and glanced at her alarm clock. 7:00. She might as well get up. Her parents would be up soon.

She swung herself out of bed and dressed in her casual clothes: a short-sleeve pink shirt and blue shorts. She stretched and yawned as she padded out of her bedroom into a small hallway. Her father's snores resounded through the house, and she smiled slightly. TenTen entered the kitchen and rummaged in the cabinets, looking for something small. Her mother would probably cook breakfast.

She grabbed a fruit bar and munched on it as she plopped down in a chair at the table. As she ate, TenTen thought about her parents. They weren't actually her birth parents; they had been killed in the Kyuubi attack. She was one of the many sudden orphans after it; however, she had been adopted unlike many. She could vaguely remember her real parents, a warm smile, a comforting word. That was all.

TenTen always knew she was adopted, and her foster parents had made no effort to hide it. And they were good to her. Fair and strict, indulging at times, but never too much so. She had learned life lessons from them, even the embarrassing ones. They were her parents; the others didn't seem to exist.

"TenTen-chan? You awake already?" asked her mother, coming out of the hallway. She was a short woman with brown hair and dark-green eyes. She wore a nightgown, just now getting out of bed, and was tying an apron around her waist as she neared the fridge. She always fawned over TenTen, but never thought TenTen was a little angel. The tomboy was far from it.

"Yeah, Kaa-san. I couldn't really sleep," replied TenTen, finishing her bar. Her mom smiled warmly and kissed her forehead.

"Maybe you should go back to bed," she suggested, "I'll keep breakfast warm until you get up again." She busied herself with cooking breakfast, taking various ingredients from the cabinets. A gigantic yawn came from the hallway, and TenTen's father, a man with dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes, lumbered into the kitchen. He fell into a chair beside TenTen, and looked sleepily at her.

"Mmmm, hello, TenTen-chan," he mumbled, putting his head on the table. She giggled; it was like this every morning when she was here. Actually, the last morning she had eaten breakfast with her family had been a while ago. She usually was out training with her team.

Her mother shook her head, still smiling. "Wake up, Misuro. Remember that order of kunai that came in late yesterday?" she reminded him. Her family ran one of the village's weapon stores, and the only forge. Her dad could craft any custom weapon for shinobi, and they lived comfortably because of it. Her dad sighed and shifted, exposing a prosthetic lower leg.

He was a former ninja, his leg taken in the Third Shinobi War. He would always brag that he could take down an entire platoon of ninja in seconds with his jutsu, but TenTen would just shake her head and laugh. Soon after the amputation, he opened the store and forge, and soon made himself known as one of the best blacksmiths in the Land of Fire. Even a few samurai from the Land of Iron ordered custom katanas from him.

"Do I have to take care of it first thing, Yuki?" he complained but getting up and opening a door to a set of stairs leading down; they lived above the store. Yuki threw him a glance that told Misuro 'yes', and he grunted before stumbling down the stairs. She looked at TenTen.

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" she asked. TenTen glanced at the clock. 7:30.

"No. I have to meet my team at nine," she replied. Her mother nodded and refocused on her cooking. Soon, a delicious aroma filled the room and apparently filtered down to the shop, as they heard a loud groan from downstairs. Yuki giggled, and TenTen smiled. A few minutes later, stomping could be heard from the stairwell and Misuro reentered the kitchen and fell back into his chair.

"There. The kunais are put up," he mumbled, his head lolling. He was silent for a minute until he started to snore loudly. TenTen nudged him with her elbow, and he started awake with a snort. "Huh? Wha? Oh, sorry, TenTen-chan." She laughed and got up to get three bowls and spoons from the cabinets. She placed one in front of Misuro, who thanked her with a snore, and placed the others where she and her mother would sit.

TenTen poked her dad in the back of the head to wake him up for the second time, and Yuki turned with a pot of soup in her hands. She dipped some into each bowl, and all sat down. This was the first time in a while they had sat down as a family at breakfast. TenTen and Misuro happily chirped, "Itadakimasu!" before plunging into the soup. Yuki ate at a more dignified pace, taking her time.

Misuro finished first and waved as he climbed down the stairs. "Gotta go run the shop. Y'know, things like that!" TenTen glanced at the clock. Her father usually opened up at about nine, but it was only a little after eight. She shrugged; maybe the shop was disorganized, like her father.

TenTen finished before her mother and gathered up her bowl and Misuro's, which he had left at the table. She put them both in the sink and washed them off. Yuki, now finished, handed her bowl to TenTen. "Thank you for doing the dishes, Ten-chan," she said.

TenTen grinned. "It's alright, but I'd get down there before Tou-san loses something important." Yuki smiled back and hurried downstairs. Orders were always being misplaced by her dad, and only she kept the business afloat by bring a hint of order into her husband's chaos. TenTen finished the dishes and quickly looked back at the clock. 8:30. Man, she was cutting it close.

She rushed out down the stairs and past her parents, Misuro scratching his head confusedly as Yuki looked for a missing order, and jumped onto the nearest rooftop as she made it out the door. She jumped over the gaps as she dashed toward the glowing Hokage Tower. The village was starting to wake up, and she could sense people look up at her as she crossed into their vision. A few minutes later, she arrived at the base of the Tower.

Neji was there, arms crossed. He glanced up as she neared but said nothing."Guy-sensei here yet?" she asked. He shook his head, and TenTen took it with a nod. She leaned against the wall, and felt the sunlight fall warmly across her. They were silent for a minute, both being too awkward to say anything, or at least she was. Neji, as always, kept his face blank. Finally, TenTen spoke, "Erm…thanks for last night, I guess. For the things you said."

"I did not say much, and you don't have to thank me."

"I know, but still…thanks. It helped."

Neji quietly nodded. Naruto arrived silently, coming into the edge of her vision. He looked concernedly at TenTen and hesitated before asking, "How are you doing, TenTen?"

TenTen paused; despite the cheerful attitude she had put on at her house, she couldn't forget the dream or the events of yesterday. The dream only seemed to reinforce the guilt she felt, and TenTen remained quiet for a time.

She still hadn't answered when Guy arrived, jumping to Naruto's side. He started to say something, but Naruto put a hand in front of him. The Jonin looked curiously at him, but the blonde shook his head. TenTen hadn't even registered Guy's presence, so deep in thought she was.

"I guess," she began, "I haven't really forgotten it, and I don't think I ever will, but it's behind me for now. I'm good for the time being." She looked up and saw Guy. "Hello, Guy-sensei." She didn't seem surprised and greeted him with a smile.

The Jonin had a small smile on his face when he turned to address the team as a whole. "Okay, Team 9, we have a report to turn in, and all team members have to be present. Sorry to drag you out of bed, but let the Power of Youth fill you up!" He shouted the last part enthusiastically. His Genin shook their heads, but this is why they liked him.

Guy marched them up the Tower, and they entered the Mission Report. The Hokage was there as always, but Iruka was not, Naruto guessing that he was teaching today. Guy bowed then saluted as they approached the table, and the rest bowed respectfully. "Here to turn in the mission report?" asked the old Hokage.

"Indeed we are," replied Guy, grinning blindingly. His Genin deadpanned. '_Does he have extra-caffeine coffee in the morning or something?'_ thought TenTen, the blonde next to her thinking similarly. Neji settled with a derisive snort. The Jonin handed the Hokage a two-page report, and he was silent as his wrinkled eyes scanned it. At one point, they flicked toward TenTen and then back at the report.

"All seems to be in order," stated the old man as he flipped back to the beginning. He placed it on a stack of other papers and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers. "Interesting to say the least, the report was."

Guy bowed. "That will be all, Hokage-sama." The other nodded. The Jonin turned back to his team. "Alright, you have three days leave. Make use of it and let the Power of-," The Genin were long gone before he finished. Behind the enthusiastic man, the Hokage smiled amusedly. Guy had a tendency to have that effect on people.

**_TenTen_**

TenTen wandered through the streets of the Leaf, not having a definite location in mind. She just needed to think. '_That man…he was burnt, badly…the tags did that,'_ she thought, hands in pockets and head down. As she had said to Naruto yesterday, she loved explosions, the sound, the light, the exhilarating feeling of being near one.

But now…she had seen the effects of them. The burns everywhere on the man's body, the pain in his eye along with the glint of madness, the desperation in his final act. TenTen shivered; she couldn't linger on it, but it kept resurfacing every time she pushed it down. Every moment was crystal clear, imprinted eerily in her mind.

Every time it surfaced she was forced to relive the final second of the kill in a sort of waking dream; it was terrifying and she hoped she was still sane. Someone bumped into her, but she was too deep in thought to really care. Vaguely she could hear children laughing and adults chatting happily. The atmosphere started to grind on her nerves. An especially loud laugh broke the dam of anger in her.

'_Why should they be happy? Don't they know anything? Are they that ignorant to the real world?'_ she demanded silently, teeth and fists clenching and unclenching. '_They're…These…argh!'_ In anger, she lashed out to punch a stall, bringing down its roof. People around turned and gasped at her, and they formed a ring around her as the stall owner neared her, TenTen staring defiantly at him. '_Let him do his worst so I can repay the favor ten times!'_

He was a big man, well over six feet in height and probably weighing nearly three hundred pounds. A man that would intimidate others into seeing his point of view, and by his swagger, he knew full well. He stepped in front of TenTen and looked down at her condescendingly. "You the one who broke my stall?" he asked voice nasty.

TenTen glared up at him but didn't answer. He repeated himself, "Girlie, you the one who broke my stall?" When she remained silent, his piggy eyes narrowed. "Answer me, dammit!" She continued to defiantly glare at him, and he raised a hand as if to slap her. "Say something!"

She still glared at him, but grinned nastily as she answered, "Screw off." She felt a massive blow catch her on the side of her face, and her feet left the ground as she tumbled to the side. The people parted around her but didn't help her. She slowly rose to face the man, a red mark vibrant on her left cheek.

He sneered. "Not so cocky now, aren't you?" TenTen snarled at him. She wanted to kill him…let his blood flow freely…she standing over him…a psychotic grin on her face…burns on his body…wait…. She suddenly clutched her stomach and vomited at the sequence of images. The man grinned. "Oh, did I hit you too hard?"

He walked over to the helpless TenTen and raised his hand as if to strike her again, but he felt a sudden force stop him. He looked over to see a man with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes filled with cold anger. A forbidding feeling washed over the large man; he feared for his life.

TenTen, who had fallen to her knees, slowly looked up. Her eyes meet a prosthetic leg, and they widened. It was her father, holding back the arm of the stall owner. She was silent until she murmured, "I'm sorry, Tou-san."

"Damn right," said the stall owner, thinking she had been talking to him. Misuro, however, corrected him.

"She wasn't talking to you. She was talking to me, her father and the one you will learn to fear." The bigger man grinned stupidly, dousing his fear; he thought he had the advantage. He was about six inches taller than Misuro and had about eighty pounds on him, but Misuro was trained as a shinobi.

"I don't think so, buddy." The man swung at him, but it was caught easily by Misuro.

He turned his head to look at TenTen. "TenTen-chan, watch and see how your old man in his element." The bigger one growled and lashed out with his other fist, but it whiffed as Misuro ducked. He responded with two quick jabs to the gut of the man and a thrusting kick with his good leg into his chest. Even though Misuro no longer trained, the big man went tumbling backward. The forge had kept him strong.

The man rose with a drunken stumble and roared as he charged Misuro. Misuro kicked upwards as he neared, catching him under the jaw and sending him into the air where he quickly received a multitude of punches. The final one, a shattering right hook to the jaw, sent to him backward and into a wall.

TenTen was stunned. Her father had bragged of course but to actually see him in action…it was amazing. He let out a breath and rolled his shoulders. Misuro glanced at her, expression unreadable. "C'mon, TenTen-chan, we gotta talk when we get home." '_Uh-oh.'_

* * *

When they arrived at the front of the shop ,Misuro opened the door and stood to side as TenTen entered with head down. Her mother Yuki was there behind the counter, a questioning look on her face. She looked at Misuro, who motioned for her to follow them as the two of them climbed the stairs. Once in the kitchen, TenTen sat and crossed her arms stubbornly.

Her dad silently regarded her until her mother came into the room. "The store's closed for a bit. What happened? People were saying something about a fight…" Misuro nodded but didn't speak, his eyes still on TenTen. After an eternal moment, he sat across from her and leaned forward.

"What was your reason?" he asked simply. TenTen swung her head toward him but didn't meet his eye. She didn't answer. He leaned back and folded his hands on his stomach. "You know who here has the most patience. You've tried this trick before." After a minute, "Tell us, TenTen-chan. We can help."

She suddenly screamed angrily, "What do you care!? You don't know what happened to me! That bastard deserved it regardless!" Her mother had a hurt look, and her father was still studying her coolly. She clenched her mouth shut and turned her head away, shamefully. She had never talked that way to her parents before.

"T-Tenten-chan, could you tell us what happened? Maybe we could-," began her mother concernedly, but TenTen interrupted her.

"I don't need help! Just leave me alone! You-you-you…," her voice cracked, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Yuki tried to put a consoling hand on her shoulder, but TenTen jerked away. "Don't touch me!"

Misuro remained silent, but spoke when she quieted. "I know what you did, or at least I can guess."

"Don't even try, Tou-san! You could never-,"

"If you say understand, you are seriously wrong," stated her dad, "I understand you completely. In fact, this is a repeat of an event of years past." He leaned forward, "You're acting the same way I did when I first killed."

TenTen started to retort, but the full meaning of his words hit her. "Wha?"

Misuro smiled empathetically. "Have you forgotten your dad's bragging? About how I could take out several guys at a time?"

"Yeah, but-,"

"You never believed me? Heh, can't say I blame you. My dad did the same. And I never believed him either." A faraway look came into his eyes. "Until I killed." He was silent for a few moments, as if he was considering his next move. Suddenly, he rose and opened the door to the shop. "Follow me, TenTen-chan. I've got something to show you."

TenTen hesitated before following. Her father went down the stairs and turned into the shop. It was a simple outfit, the weapons either in table displays or hanging on the wall. A door near the back led to the forge, where TenTen was never allowed. Misuro, however, had a different idea today. He opened the door and stood beside it, waiting.

She entered nervously, glancing at her dad who nodded encouragingly. TenTen turned around to get a full look at the forge. It was like something she had imagined, an anvil near a bucket of water and the fire. A table was located in a far corner. On it was various finished orders and papers. However, there was another table adjacent of it that drew her attention.

On it were several metal objects arranged neatly along the wall. One was a wolf, another an ornate lightning bolt with a sword running through it, and the one that really drew her attention was a life-size metallic bow about four feet in length. She furrowed her brows. What was this? Her parents had certainly never told her.

"This…is my remembrance table, I guess you could say," said Misuro from behind her, closing the door. He came to the table's edge and waved her over. She only became more confused as more objects came into view. There was maybe about twenty of them, but all were seemingly random designs.

TenTen looked up at her father, frowning. "What? Remembrance table? What do you mean?" She pointed toward the table, and Misuro sighed, much like he did before he began a long, usually dull explanation. He, however, walked over and picked up one of the objects, a small cloud with frozen iron rain pouring down.

Misuro studied it for a while before turning to look at TenTen. "This…is where I remember the ones I've killed. All of these were made by me before and after I was…unfit for duty." He shook his prosthetic leg. "It's a way to deal with the emotion, at least for me."

TenTen was silent, processing the information. "That's," she said, "kinda disturbing, you know. A shrine to dead people whose deaths were caused by you? Man, I knew something was wrong with you." She meant the last part as a joke, but Misuro's calloused hand tightened around the cloud.

"Nothing is wrong with me, TenTen-chan. I'm sure of it. And be grateful you ever saw this. Only one other person has: your mom. She's…well, she knows that it's my way of coping. I'm so glad she accepted this." His eyes regained the faraway look. "I didn't even tell her until after the marriage. I was so afraid she would reject it."

TenTen stood uncomfortably during this reminiscence. Her dad always played the tough guy of the family, being the only guy, and never talked about emotions. This was a side of him she had never even glimpsed. "OK, but what's this got to do with me?" she asked.

Misuro studied the cloud again before answering, "My father, who you've never met, first showed me this. He did it himself, and when I first killed, he did the same thing I'm doing with you. I admit that I said some of the things you're saying now, but eventually I followed in his footsteps and picked this up."

He picked up the bow. "Each of these has a story behind them. This bow…I was fighting a Jonin from the Sand, and she wielded a bow very well. She got me a few times even. The fight went on forever it seemed, though I came out the winner." He rubbed his shoulder, as if remembering his wounds.

There was wrinkle in his story, however. "Jonin? You only got the Chunin promotion. How in the world could you take down a Jonin?" questioned TenTen.

Misuro grinned sheepishly. "I was a Chunin, but my rank in the Bingo Book was mid-B. I was respected back in the day, I tell ya."

She shook her head. "Good God. Are you still in the Bingo Books?"

"No. They took me out when I…well you can guess."

She nodded, understanding. She turned to the table. Making something to remember a death that you caused…it seemed grotesque to her. TenTen sighed. She hated to let her dad down, but unfortunately this called for it. "Tou-san, I-I don't know about this. I mean, you use this to run the shop and I'd get in your way. I also, well, I kinda think this whole thing is crazy." She kicked the ground nervously.

Misuro nodded. "I can understand. I said the same thing to my dad. But, for me, take this." He turned to the table and reached behind it. He pulled out a block of wood and a small carving knife. He handed it to her. "Try to think of something that makes the person unique. And then let your hands do the rest." He walked out of the room, leaving TenTen there staring uncomprehendingly at the block of wood in her hands.

'_What am I supposed to do with this? I've never even tried to carve!' _She went out the door and up the stairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, making lunch. Yuki smiled as TenTen neared, but TenTen ignored her as she entered her room. She fell down on her bed, placing the knife and wood next to her. '_Try to think of something unique…this is really nuts. How am I going to make a fiery cutthroat's death unique?' _

She lay there for a few minutes, thinking. There really wasn't anything to remember about the man she'd killed…just thinking about fully gave her chills. As she sat there for a while more, a detail she had missed at first floated to the top of her mind.

_The bandit fell choking on his own blood. TenTen clutched the now-bloody kunai in her hands, panting. Something metallic sparkled in the corner of her eye, but she ignored it, too disgusted by the sight in front of her._

_'__That sparkle…what was it?'_ TenTen concentrated, trying to replay the memory without becoming sick. A faint image rewarded her effort: a small silver bird in flight. It was a necklace that the bandit had worn, somehow untouched by the chaos around him. Her hands picked up the wood and knife without her knowing and started to carve.

She sat on her bed for hours, not hearing her mom's calls for lunch and then Misuro quietly reassuring her. TenTen kept the image of the bird in flight in her mind, hands carving slowly and automatically.

It was night outside her window when Yuki opened the door. "TenTen-chan, it's dinnertime." She started, nearly cutting herself. "Sorry," apologized Yuki. She nearly closed the door, but opened it again. "Beautiful carving by the way." TenTen glanced down. It was a rough outline of the bird, the details such as the eyes and feathers not added yet.

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, and tell Tou-san thanks as well." Her mother smiled warmly as she nodded and closed the door. TenTen put down the carving and opened the door, turning to look at it as she exited. '_This is wonderful and freeing…but I feel as if something is missing.'_

**_Naruto_**

The young blonde stretched as he walked away from the Hokage Tower, early morning sun still bright. He really had nothing planned today except to relax until evening when he trained. Maybe he could study fuinjutsu or something. He was on the concept of the displacement of items using storage seals. Basically, the items could be sealed and unsealed at a set range indicated by the seal. He thought of places to study, an idea making him smile slightly.

* * *

Naruto sat on top the Academy wall that bordered the practice area, scroll opened on his lap and brush and ink out beside him. He had chosen it because whenever he had a break, he could watch the spars or listen to the yells of Iruka, still very loud even through the walls of the Academy. So far, every class that had used the area had no one he recognized, and Naruto sat quietly as he slowly drew the design for a seal.

A loud whoop lifted his head, and he saw Iruka along with his original class come out. The whoop had come from Kiba unsurprisingly as he saw Naruto sitting on the wall. Iruka waved as he too saw the blonde, who waved back. Hinata blushed slightly, and Sasuke glowered, simmering over the fact Naruto became a Genin faster than he.

Naruto smiled as he lowered his head back over his scroll as he heard Iruka reorder the class. He began to name combat partners, "Shino versus Kiba! Shikamaru versus Choji!"

"Troublesome."

Iruka continued, ignoring Shikamaru. "Sasuke versus Toru!" A nervous-looking civilian student jumped and lamented about his luck, and Sasuke smirked in his direction. "Ino versus Rumi!" One of several fangirls fawning over Sasuke momentarily took her eyes off of Mr. Perfect and blinked confusedly before returning to fawning.

"Hinata versus Sakura!" Naruto's head jerked up at that. Hinata looked uneasy about the fight, and Sakura pumped her fist, being sure that she'd win this fight by forfeit. Naruto leaned back and set the scroll aside. This would be interesting.

Iruka cleared his throat and finished the list. After, "The fights will be in that order. First: Shino and Kiba!" The young Aburame stepped silently into the ring, contrasting to the excited Kiba and Akamaru entering in shouting loudly. Kiba grinned at Shino, whose expression was unreadable behind the glasses and high collar. "Begin!"

"Yahoo! Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba rushed toward Shino, who kept still, waiting calmly. Kiba threw a left hook at the other's face which Shino stepped aside to dodge. Kiba responded with a kick toward his head that Shino couldn't block.

The Aburame smiled slightly. Hundreds, if not thousands, of insects burst from his sleeves and swarmed in front of the kick. Shino motioned as if he was pulling, and the insects tightened around Kiba's leg and threw him out of the ring. He landed with a _oof_ and laid there for a few seconds, the air knocked out of him.

"The victor is Shino Aburame," said Iruka. The stoic boy nodded and walked to the back of the group, the class parting around him. Akamaru barked as Kiba sat up and stood, brushing himself off. The Inuzuka looked again toward Naruto, an idea forming in his head.

"Hey Naruto! Wanna join us?" he shouted, eliciting a glare from Iruka and a laugh from the blonde.

"Inuzuka! Naruto doesn't have time to spar with Academy students. He's a Genin!" Kiba withered under Iruka's gaze, but was saved by Naruto.

"It's alright, Iruka-sensei. It's my day off, and though this looks like fun, I'll pass." Kiba looked visibly deflated but regained his enthusiasm as soon as he lost it. He bounced over to the class and stood at the front of them. Iruka nodded and scribbled something on a clipboard.

"Next fight: Shikamaru versus Choji." The two friends stepped into the ring, Choji nervously and Shikamaru lazily. The Nara yawned as his friend became increasingly uneasy.

"I-I don't want to fight my friend, sensei," stammered Choji, looking up at him.

"I don't want to either. It's all so troublesome," said Shikamaru, staring up at the clouds. Iruka sighed. This always happened between these two, Choji being too soft and Shikamaru too lazy. He didn't know why he bothered.

"Alright. Tie in this fight. Next: Sasuke and Toru!" The nervous boy readied himself shakily. Sasuke sneered as he settled into his stance, the Fist-Intercepting Technique. Naruto had always hated it as it used the opponent's momentum to the user's advantage. As a boy that fully committed to punches, it devastated him. That's why he was cautious around the Uchiha.

Naruto doubted Toru had deduced any of this and wished him good luck. Even though Sasuke was a jerk, he was damn good at taijutsu. "Begin!" Toru stood still with wobbly knees before running wildly at Sasuke and swinging. Sasuke leaned backwards as it touched the air in front of him and slammed his foot into the boy's gut. Toru coughed as he clutched his stomach.

Sasuke again slammed his foot into his gut, causing Toru to drop to his knees. Sasuke grabbed his hair and jerked his head up. Sasuke drew his hand back and shattered the boy's face. Toru let out a low moan as his nose gushed with blood, but he was not out. Sasuke, with a psychotic smile on his face, drew back for another punch, but meet resistance. He looked up, expecting Iruka, but his eyes narrowed as they met cerulean ones.

"Let go of him, Uchiha. You've won already," ordered Naruto calmly, his hand clasping Sasuke's upper arm. The Uchiha tried to shake him off, but Naruto's grip was iron. "Let him go, and I let you go." Sasuke released Toru, who fell over and crawled away, some of his friends helping him up. Naruto let go and Sasuke wiped at the spot purposely.

"Now you've touched me. Great, I don't need your lowly hands all over me, dobe," sneered Sasuke superiorly. Naruto's face didn't change, but ill intent poured from him. He had never liked Sasuke's superior attitude; Neji was easier to deal with.

"One more word, Uchiha, and you will be the one on your knees begging for mercy," growled Naruto lowly.

"You wouldn't even touch me, dobe. I'm Uchiha, the finest in the Leaf."

Iruka stepped in before Naruto could rip Sasuke's throat out. "The victor is Toru Migame." At the glare from the Uchiha, "Sasuke Uchiha used excessive force and-,"

"Go ahead and award him the victory, Iruka-sensei, but remind him of the consequences of not following orders and insubordination." Iruka gave Naruto a strange look, and Sasuke was ready to spit something venomous at the blonde, but his mouth was clamped over by Iruka. "He would've won in the real world, but with set parameters, he failed utterly. Have mercy to even the merciless, or be prudent and kill them." The blonde shrugged. "Either way."

He climbed back to the spot, the rest of the class watching in awe. They hadn't even sensed him move and hadn't expected this level of wisdom from the former class clown. Iruka smiled inwardly; the blonde would make a great Hokage if he ever took the title. The Chunin released Sasuke who glared at him as he made his way back into the crowd.

"Ino and Rumi. Please step into the ring." The Yamanaka giggled, and Rumi sighed at being torn away from her Precious. Both entered into the ring, Ino looking confident and Rumi not really caring and staring at Sasuke. Naruto rolled his eyes. Fangirls would never get anywhere in the ninja world. "Begin!"

The fight was short and very painful for Rumi. Ino charged her and punched sloppily at her head. It could've easily been dodged by a three year-old, but the recipient didn't even look Ino's way, her eyes locked on Sasuke. What it got her was a bloody nose and a split lip. Naruto felt like banging his head against the wall. '_How the hell is she going to make it as a ninja!?'_

"The victor is Ino Yamanaka." Ino giggled vacuously and skipped over to Sasuke.

"You see that, Sasuke-kun? I'm a good kunoichi!" she chirped. The Uchiha ignored her though, blood boiling over his own fight. Rumi, who had her hands over her face, rushed into the Academy, most likely to the nurse. Naruto shook his head exasperatedly. So much wasted potential.

"The next fight," announced Iruka, "is Sakura versus Hinata!" Naruto scooted closer to the edge. This was the fight he wanted to see. The pinkette marched into the arena, smiling brightly at her chances. Hinata, nerves etched into her cute face, edged into it. "Begin!"

"You might as well give up, weirdo! The power of love beats all!" taunted Sakura. Hinata poked her index fingers together, head bowed. "Hah! That's right! Be weak! Be the loser you always are! You can never win!" She began to shake, memories of similar words coming from the mouths of her own family bubbling up. "Why are you shivering? Are you scared? Go ahead, forfeit, you loser!" Hinata started to raise a hand to forfeit, but a yell broke into her thoughts.

"Hinata! Don't you dare give up!" She lifted her head to stare at Naruto, who was standing. "Don't you even think about it! Don't listen to her and fight! If you won't do it for you, do it for me! Just don't give up!" He teetered on the edge for a second, before crashing face first into the ground. A murmur of laughter went through the class; even though this Naruto was smarter, he was still the same.

Sakura tched and rolled her eyes as she returned her attention to Hinata. What she saw stopped her short. Hinata's lavender eyes were filled with fiery courage, and she had settled into the Gentle Fist stance, all of her weight balanced on her front foot. Naruto grinned as he lifted his head. "Give her hell, Hinata!"

"Bring it, weirdo!" shouted Sakura, dashing forward. Hinata shifted her weight and stepped lightly to the side while landing a palm strike on Sakura's chest. The pinkette gasped, and Hinata moved directly in front of her and struck her several times on the chest, causing her to tumble close to the edge of the ring.

Sakura slowly rose up, breathing heavily. '_Where the hell did that strength come from?'_ Most fights involving Hinata usually had her only tapping her opponent or not even hitting them. But dear God, this hurt! Sakura was sure she would have bruises tomorrow. "You're gonna pay for that!" yelled Sakura, her Inner Self agreeing.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Sakura closed in. Her eyes flew open, veins popping out around them, and Hinata realized what she had done. She had activated her Byakugan without handsigns, a feat she could never even get close to. Her vision sharp, she drove a strike into the back of Sakura's neck as she passed. One thought rang clearly in her mind, '_For Naruto-kun, I will be strong!'_

The pinkette fell with a strangled sound, and Hinata took a step back, fearing a counterattack. She needn't to fear though, as Sakura's muscles had locked up, Hinata's blow hitting a nerve. Iruka's eyebrows shot up; Hinata had never won a fight before and certainly had never hit anyone like she had now. "The winner is…Hinata Hyuuga." A loud whoop, actually two of them, resounded in the practice area. Naruto and Kiba both had huge grins plastered onto their faces, and Naruto ran over and enveloped the heiress in a crushing hug.

"Yay! You won, Hinata!" shouted Naruto, Hinata barely able to breath. He looked down and realized he was hugging way too tightly, and let her go. "Sorry. Got a little excited." Hinata's face was beet-red and lowered. Naruto allowed himself a small grin. She slowly lifted her head to look at him in the eye, and the blonde's grin widened. Hinata had a confident gleam in her eyes, and she smiled slightly, the blush still on her face.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," thanked Hinata. Naruto nodded his head, still grinning. Conspiratorially, he leaned in, close to her ear.

"No kiss for the prince?" he asked teasingly, feeling Hinata's blush as well as his own. She stuttered for an answer, and Naruto backed away and laughed lightly. "Just kidding! Just kidding." He grinned wickedly. "Though I wouldn't mind." Hinata stuttered some more, and Naruto winked as he walked back to his spot. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide how to respond, and she settled for silence. She went and stood in the middle of the class, her classmates regarding with a new respect.

Kiba was slightly jealous of Naruto. '_Why does Hinata like him? He's got nothing! I'm from a major clan, and he doesn't have any family!'_ OK, maybe he was little bit more than slightly jealous. '_Stupid dobe. Bet I could beat him in fight.'_ How wrong he was.

The rest of the fights passed in a rush for the blonde, who didn't look up from his scroll after Hinata's fight. The students returned to their classes, Sasuke still irritated. The sun crept its way west, casting shadows across the blonde. '_The matrix and radius are interrelated…storage is determined by…good God, this is confusing at times, but I like it.'_ Naruto picked up the brush, dipped it into the ink, and painstakingly drew onto a blank area of the scroll, tongue poking out.

After a ten minutes, he smiled relieved as he held up the seal to the light. It certainly looked fine, now time to-

"BOO!"

"WHAT THE FU-!" Naruto jumped a mile into the air, almost quite literally. When his feet again touched the ground, he turned irately to a laughing Touza down below him. "You little…I oughta strangle you!"

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-san!" breathed Touza between laughs, "But you jumped so high!"

"Well so would you if someone scared you like that!"

Touza blew a raspberry at him. "No one ever scares me. Not even you, Naruto-san." The blonde shook his head and gathered his things. It was unfortunately true. Touza, in addition to being damn near invisible, couldn't be snuck up on. "A feeling I get," he'd say.

"I really need to get revenge on you," he said, jumping down after sealing them in a regular storage seal, not risking the new one. "But I don't know what to do, which is a first to me." He glanced at the sun and realized he maybe had two hours of sun left. "Sheesh, better go. Seeya, Touza!" The boy blinked as Naruto took off before following him.

"Wait up!"

* * *

Naruto caught a punch from a clone and delivered a kick to its side. Another clone kicked at his knees, to which Naruto responded by throwing the clone he'd caught on top of it. Another jumped onto his back, and he gripped its arm and threw it over his shoulder. All dispelled, and he straightened, breathing slowing. Touza was beneath a tree, as always, watching attentively. His face was a picture of awe.

Naruto turned and grinned at the boy. "Like the show?" Touza nodded. "Thought so. I'm kinda surprised myself. That was the twentieth clone, a new record for me." He cricked his neck. "Bet I can do more." He produced a group of thirty, trying to push himself to the limit taijutsu-wise. "This should do." He settled into the Iron Fist. "Bring it. Three at a time."

Thirty minutes later, the blonde punched the last clone in the gut and kicked it away. He was panting, sweat pouring off of him. His jacket had come off during the bouts, but he didn't care. He was hot anyway. Touza had remained silent throughout the fights, and Naruto looked at him. Usually the boy had energy to spare after the Academy and cheered him on, but now his small face was considerate. "Whatcha thinking, Touza?"

"Nothin'."

"Aw, c'mon. I just showed you some premium ninja moves. That's gotta be worth something."

"It's nothin', Naruto-san."

"Nothing my foot. Can you tell me? Or is it too sensitive?"

"Sensitive?" asked Touza, head cocked to the side.

"Erm, you don't want to talk about it because it makes you sad or something."

The boy shook his head quickly. "It's not that at all! It just…uh…well, could you teach me?"

"You've already asked me that question, Touza," reminded Naruto, raising an eyebrow.

"Not like every day, but you know, every once in a while. Like today, you don't really have anything to do, so…maybe?"

"Why do you want me to teach you so bad? You said you have a bad teacher, but is that it?" Naruto crossed his arms, wanting a straight answer. Touza seemed to hesitate.

"Well, uh…erm, well, I'm kinda the Dead Last right now, and I'd like to be taught, but no one will do it. I might not become a ninja." The boy slumped, the prospect of not accomplishing his dream taking all the energy out of him. He didn't want to be a civilian and lead some boring life; no he wanted an action-packed life of a ninja! Touza felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at Naruto.

"Aw, cheer up. No need for that," said Naruto, patting his head, "I'll try my best to teach you, but you know sometimes I just can't, but-," He didn't finish as Touza tackled him with a hug.

"Thank you, Naruto-san!"

The blonde grinned. "Whenever I teach you, you'll have to call me 'Naruto-sensei'." Touza blinked up at him, and then grinned.

"Hai, Naruto-sensei!"

Naruto nodded. "Alright, we've got forty-five minutes of light left, so let's get to it!"

* * *

The blonde sat in bed, the light still on in his room. He had the new seal in one hand and a kunai in another. "Alright, time to try this out!" He concentrated chakra to the seal and the kunai, turning his face away in case the seal malfunctioned. He heard a soft pop and the weight of the kunai disappeared, and he looked back to see the kunai was gone and the seal still perfectly fine. He concentrated again, and another pop was heard, the weight returning to his hand. Naruto let out a breath. Thank God that had worked.

He set the kunai and seal on his nightstand and lay back on the bed, putting his hands under his head. He grinned as he remembered the Academy fights. Hopefully, Hinata would keep that spark. His mind turned to Touza and his training. The boy was a hard worker, and he had gotten down a basic Academy stance down by the end. Naruto had assigned him to work on punches, keeping them short and quick. Touza tended to throw powerful but inaccurate right hooks. Now with the new seal working, the day had been wonderful. '_This was all fun and stuff, but why do I feel something's missing?'_

**_Neji_**

Neji headed straight for the Hyuuga complex to train after he was done at the Hokage Tower. He made his way calmly, mind wandering but senses sharp. He had been slightly worried about TenTen after yesterday; he had seen how things like that could affect people. There were enough at the complex. He even knew a few.

Not that he didn't have his own past to deal with. Losing his father had hardened him, for better or worse was anyone's opinion. His mother was still alive, but she had never been the same after his father's funeral, however petty it was. He had forever hated the Main Family from that day, and had never told anyone outside the clan about his father's fate. No one knew, and it would stay that way.

He turned a corner and looked up. The high wall of the complex was in view. He nodded to himself and continued until the gate. A Branch Family member stepped in front of him. "We have to check your chakra as a precaution. We've recently had a would-be invader." Neji nodded, wondering who it was. '_To be that reckless, it must've been some Academy student or Naruto, but Naruto is too cautious for that level of stupidity I would think.'_

"You may pass, Neji-san," said the guard, stepping to the side. Neji nodded absently and made his way over to the Branch Family residence. He needed to check on his mother, who had been plagued with headaches for the past week. The doctor had said it was migraines, run of the mill for someone mourning for eight years, but Neji had a suspicion it went deeper than that. Call it an uneasy feeling he was feeling.

He took off his shoes and slid the door to his house back softly. His mother was not far from the door, and she covered her eyes as the light hit her. "Neji-kun, please close the door."

"Of course, Kaa-san." He closed the door and kneeled beside her. "Are you feeling any better today?"

She smiled weakly. "A little, but not much. You need not worry about your mother, though." She coughed, a new symptom to Neji, and whispered, "She's strong."

Neji's eyes softened. His mother was the only person he genuinely cared for. "You may be strong, Kaa-san, but sometimes even the great Hiashi-sama needs help." He whispered the last part, fearing he would be heard. His mother chuckled, however, and he smiled. "Do you need anything?"

"Just rest, Neji-kun. Just rest. You go train with Hyoto-san, now. The genius shouldn't worry so much." Neji hesitated, but then patted his mother's hand. He rose and slid open the door before closing it quickly. He slipped on his shoes and headed toward the central part of the Branch Family residence.

Hyoto, his mentor, was waiting, standing rigidly next to the well that stood as the center of the residence. He nodded stiffly toward Neji, who returned it. "The usual place, Neji-san." Neji blinked as an answer and turned into an alley, being sure to activate his Byakugan for stalkers. Hyoto was the man that taught him the Main Family techniques. If either were found out about, the verdict would be execution. The odd thing about Hyoto, though, was that he too was a part of the Branch Family.

After weaving through several allies and sensing no one following, he felt a fluctuation in the air around him, and the space around him suddenly became clouded to his eyes. He deactivated his dojutsu and scanned. Hyoto stood in the middle of a practice area, silently waiting for Neji to take stance in front of him. Neji showed a small smile as he did so. "What are we to practice today, sensei?"

Hyoto answered in a monotone, "You are to practice the **Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms**. I believe you are ready for it, since you mastered its stepping stone in such a short period." He shifted into the Gentle Fist stance. "However, let me observe your skills." Hyoto pushed off his front foot and struck at Neji's chest.

Neji parried it with his own strike and retaliated with a jab at Hyoto's chest, who blocked and returned the favor. For five straight minutes they battled like this, each blow parried or deflected, no one gaining the upper hand. Neji narrowed his eyes as another strike of his was blocked. Mentally weighing his chances, he waited until Hyoto had fully committed to a strike. Neji sidestepped and directed a blow directly toward his sensei's chest.

Fiery pain shot up his arm, and Neji flinched, the blow going awry. For the first time in the fight, he looked at his arms. They were dotted with red whelps, and he concentrated chakra into them and felt the pain shoot through him again. "From the beginning, it looks like," said Neji, wincing as he felt another painful pang. Hyoto nodded, straightening.

"From the beginning, I was hitting the tenketsu on your arms, negating your chakra and frankly making your hits ticklish at best. I could've easily killed you." Hyoto smirked. "It was your adrenaline that kept the pain at bay. That last one, however, had too much chakra packed into it. The result was immediate, was it not?" Neji nodded. "Yes, but I do see that you have progressed. You were my match in the style, but not in intelligence."

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "Meaning, sensei?"

"Meaning you need to take everything in consideration. A quick weighing of your odds will not do. You do have the potential to be the best user of Gentle Fist in many generations, but if you do not possess intellect, you will go nowhere." Hyoto shifted into the Gentle Fist. "Come. I will teach you the **Sixty-Four Palms **by using it myself."

* * *

After hours of practice and Neji's tenketsu being closed and reopened painfully, Hyoto called the practice to a close. "Remember, we must be present at Hinata-sama's bout." Neji's hackles rose slightly at the heiress's name. '_A true failure of the Main Family. The lowest of people, and she thinks she can get away with not fighting. The fool. She deserves to be branded into the Branch Family.'_ Neji couldn't have a lower level of respect for Hinata; he had more respect for Naruto, though he had shown that he was deserving of it.

Neji nodded stoically, not trusting himself to speak. Hyoto went over and lifted something from the ground. The cloud around Neji's dojutsu vision cleared instantly, and he wondered what Hyoto was using to cloak them. He focused in on the object in Hyoto's hand, and frowned when he saw what it was. "Hyoto-sensei, is that... a seal of some kind?" Hyoto snapped his head toward Neji as he pocketed the slip of paper. Neji had seen an amazingly complex seal matrix imprinted onto it, but only knew it was a seal due to Naruto's and TenTen's interest in the art.

Hyoto answered slowly. "Indeed it is. How did you know?"

"My teammates have an interest in fuinjutsu. I know what a seal looks like, and I have never seen one like that. Are you a fuinjutsu expert?"

Hyoto patted the pocket holding the seal thoughtfully. "No," he answered, "This seal was made by a friend long ago. He was my teammate and wanted to help me learn the arts of Gentle Fist. He did indeed, among other things."

Hyoto's answer sparked another question. "Who taught you the Main Family techniques, sensei?" asked Neji.

Hyoto turned his head away. "Let us go. We will be late for the bout." Neji narrowed his eyes and was about to demand a clear answer until Hyoto shunshinned away. Neji worked his jaw for a moment, irked, but shook his head and walked toward the Main Family estates. He neared the dojo, and he paused to take a deep breath to calm himself. He slid back the door and glanced around as he closed it and kneeled in the floor.

Most of the Branch and Main Family were present, except for those who were sick or old. Most surprisingly, his mother was there also. Her face was pale and sweaty, but she had an odd look on her face, as if she was expecting something. Neji made his way over to her side unobtrusively and kneeled beside her. "Kaa-san, you shouldn't be here. You are still-," started Neji worriedly, but his mother cut him off.

"I'm fine, Neji-kun," she said in a faint but fierce voice, "I need to see this. Something's-," She coughed several times, drawing questioning looks to which Neji answered with a glare, "Something's going to happen, I'm sure of it." Neji furrowed his brow in a puzzled manner.

"What?"

"Hinata-sama…will win this fight," she explained before lapsing into a coughing fit. Neji gave his mother a startled look. Most of the Branch Family had agreed that Hinata would eventually become one of them due to her unwillingness to fight and soft personality. There were a few that rejected the idea, but never had his mother been one of them. She didn't particularly care for Family politics.

"We…we will see, Kaa-san," replied Neji in a half-hearted attempt to support her. She heard his tone, though, and looked up at him.

"Yes, we will indeed, Neji-kun." Her tone made him pause in his own judgment. '_How did this idea enter her mind?'_ He thought for a second that maybe the headaches had caused hallucinations, but she had never done this before. Surely she couldn't be going insane.

The door slamming to the side caused him to start, and they both turned to see Hinata's opponent, a Main Family member named Haname, strut in. She was three years Neji's elder and had the signature brown hair, which was done up in a bun, and white eyes of the Hyuuga. She had a smug smirk on her face as she looked around the dojo. She marched into the designated area and turned to look at the audience.

"Is the heiress not here? Is she too cowardly to show her face?" said Haname arrogantly. Her answer was silence. She chuckled condescendingly. "Well, I win by forfeit. The failure should just-,"

"I am here, Haname-san," came a soft but firm voice from the entrance. All turned their heads to look at the speaker's silhouette against the sun. The speaker walked in calmly, revealing itself to be Hinata. Haname smiled nastily as Hinata took position in front of her.

"Looks like the heiress finally came. Took you long enough. But even if you do try to fight me, the result will be the same as if you had surrendered. I am the one of the best users of Gentle Fist in my generation!" That in itself was not a boast; Haname was truly one of the best _known about _fighters, but Neji could take her down with a single move if needed.

Neji expected Hinata to flinch at Haname's words, but surprisingly, she kept her face blank as she settled into the Gentle Fist. Her eyes held a steely look and a spark of courage as she glared uncharacteristically at her opponent. The other, however, smirked at her courage. "Aw, looks like the baby finally got a backbone. Now she just needs it to be beat out of her!"

Hiashi, the patriarch of the clan and Hinata's father, stepped between them, stemming Haname's words. "Are both fighters ready?" he asked, taking note of Hinata's newfound confidence and Haname's arrogance. They both nodded. "Begin!"

"Look, princess, just forfeit and-," She never finished her words as Hinata slammed a palm onto her right breastbone. "Wha-" Hinata silenced her with both palms on either side of her chest. Haname coughed blood as she stumbled backward, and attempted to recover herself. Hinata wouldn't allow it as she feinted at her head. Haname was fooled by it and readied herself for the false move, and she felt a sudden pain in her gut.

Haname fell her knees, arms around her stomach and blood dripping from one side of her mouth. She looked up at Hinata, who had backed up a few feet in the event of a surprise. "How? H-how? How did you-," she coughed red, "beat me?"

Hinata looked at her evenly with a hint of pity in her eyes. "I-I used your overconfidence against you, Haname-san. It is your greatest weakness."

"Are you calling me weak?!"demanded Haname, trying to stand but falling on her side.

"No, just arrogant," replied Hinata. Haname tried to rise again, but again she fell. Hinata walked over and offered her hand. She slapped it away.

"I do not need help from a failure!"

"A failure, may I remind you, that defeated you, Haname-san," said Hiashi, stepping in. With Haname cowed, he turned toward Hinata with an appraising look in his eyes. "Hinata…you have not shown much inclination to learn Gentle Fist, and admittedly I thought about having you branded." A wretched look passed over Hinata's face. "However, this fight shows me that you have true potential. If you apply yourself and do not waver, I will pick up my teachings with you."

Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, exploded, "What! She's a failure, nothing more! Even with this fight, she'll be weak in a day! I deserve the lessons, not her!"

Hiashi glared at her. "You will not argue with me, Hanabi. You will do as your father says." Hanabi tched and crossed her arms but said nothing more. He returned his attention to Hinata, who had a hopeful look on her face. "What do you say to my offer, Hinata?"

She stood silent for a worrying minute. Hiashi thought she would decline for a second. He truly loved both daughters, even though they were opposite personalities. The thought of branding his oldest was a painful prospect, but the elders would do it regardless of his arguments; the best he could do was delay. This, however, would negate all their arguments of a weak heiress and permanently instate Hinata as heiress.

Hiashi was surprised when she hugged him tightly, not caring about the crowd. Tears were running down her cheeks as she pressed her face into his kimono. "Tou-san," she began shakily, "of course I'll be your student."

* * *

Neji sat in his room on his bed, looking at the wall. '_So, Hinata-sama has grown stronger and braver, but in my eyes she is still a failure. She is destined to stay on the path she is on._' He shook his head. '_That Haname was indeed overconfident. At her fullest, Hinata could never win. I would like to test my abilities against her, but…_' He looked at his hand and flexed it. '_That would result in my death, in most cases.'_ With another shake of his head, he stood and went into the main room where his mother was laying.

She turned over at the sound of his footsteps. "Hello, Neji-kun. Could you fetch me a glass of water?" He nodded and went into the kitchen. He returned with the glass of water and sat beside her. His mother sat up laboriously and took the glass. She stared into it for a moment before sipping. "Today was different, you could say," she said, smiling warmly.

Neji was hesitant to answer. "Yes, and you were right, Kaa-san. Hinata-sama did indeed win."

"Yes. She will become a strong clan leader."

"Yes, Kaa-san, but there is the possibility that she could revert to her original self. If that happens-,"

"It will not, Neji-kun."

"But it is destiny-,"

"Some people can defy destiny, and Hinata will be one of those people. Just watch and believe in her."

"But no one can," argued Neji stubbornly, refraining from bringing up his father. The iron, inescapable chains of destiny had led to his death.

"It was said no one could defeat the Kyuubi, yet someone did," replied his mother softly.

"That is different."

"How so?" Neji started to answer, but stopped short, not having an adequate answer. They both sat there in quiet. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Kinami, can I come in?" said a familiar voice. '_Hiashi-sama.'_

"Neji-kun, could you open the door?" Neji obeyed and slid back the door, admitting Hiashi into the room. Kinami bowed her head. "Hello, Hiashi-sama. I would bow but unfortunately I cannot."

"It is fine, Kinami. However, I would like to speak to you privately," said Hiashi, glancing at Neji, who felt his blood run cold. '_Have they found out?'_

"Of course, Hiashi-sama." Kinami looked at Neji, who bowed and backed out of the room. He paused, considering eavesdropping, but then Hiashi had the Byakugan.

* * *

Hiashi watched Neji walk into his room through his dojutsu. He deactivated it as he looked at Kinami. "Why haven't you told him?"

"Told him what, Hiashi-sama? That I am sick? He knows that already."

"You know what I mean, and I also know about his training with Hyoto."

Kinami bristled. "Do not hurt him, Hiashi-sama. Please."

"I intend not to. I want him to carry his father's legacy, but as for the other issue, you need to tell him or he will find out painfully. Spare him the pain in the future."

Kinami looked down. She had been hoping to avoid this, but as Hiashi had said, it wouldn't be for long. "Hiashi-sama, please answer me truthfully: how could you tell your only child that he will be alone in a matter of months?"

* * *

Neji lay in his bed, listening to the faint, unintelligible conversation. After ten minutes, he heard the door open and close and his mother's soft voice calling. He padded into the run as quickly as he could. "What did he have to say, Kaa-san?"

She smiled. "Nothing much. He just wanted to check on me. His wife was one of my dearest friends, as you know. We chatted a bit about today, but nothing important to you I would think."

"So he didn't mention the training?"

She shook her head and pulled him into a hug. "No, you're safe, my son. Never worry." Neji smiled softly as he put his head on his mother's shoulder. She was a small woman, especially now because of her sickness.

"I always worry, Kaa-san, especially about you. I want nothing to happen to you," he said quietly. She smiled and held him at arm's length.

"Don't worry. Even if I'm not there, I'll be by your side," she said warmly. Neji felt an inordinate pang of dread shoot through him at her words. He smiled, however, as they embraced again. '_Today has been different, but I feel as if something is amiss.'_

* * *

The early morning sun shone down upon TenTen as she carefully carved the details of the bird. Wood bits surrounded her, a few being picked up by the wind and carried away. She was at the Training Ground where Team 9 had first met for their final exam. She had the idea to come here spontaneously, but now she felt truly relaxed as she carved.

"So you had the same idea, TenTen?" asked a voice. She looked up to see Naruto walking toward her. He sat down beside her and studied the carving. "What's that?"

"A carving, genius."

"Obviously, but what for?"

"For me," she answered vaguely, never looking up.

"What?"

"It…helps me."

"Oh." The two sat there for another minute before Naruto suddenly leapt up, scaring TenTen and making her prick her finger.

"Naruto, you idiot! You made me cut myself!"

"Someone's coming," said Naruto, ignoring her. TenTen frowned as she sucked on the cut.

"Come out, whoever you are!" shouted Naruto at a patch of trees.

"Naruto, scale down the craziness a bit. Those trees aren't going to answer you."

"No, they won't, but I will," replied Neji, coming out of the forest. "I can judge we all had similar ideas?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Looks like we did, teme. Another way we're alike." He grinned. "Each day, there are new things to add to that list."

"Do not look forward to the list growing, Uzumaki-san," said Neji. He glanced at a tree opposite of them. "Guy-sensei, I can sense you in the tree and could see you with the Byakugan. You can reveal yourself." A loud shout came from the tree as Guy jumped out and landed in front of them. He flashed them his signature grin and gave them a thumbs-up.

"Are you ready to cut the vacation short?" he asked in a positive but blunt manner. All three exchanged glances, and nodded.

"Hai, Guy-sensei!"

**Alriiiiiiight, 10,000 words. Sheesh, didn't expect this. Anyway, if you're wondering why I didn't go in detail about Hizashi, it's because I'm writing like the reader hasn't encountered any Naruto characters plus I want to save that for later. Now, what do you think of Neji in this? I tried my best, hopefully it's alright. Toodles.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Thanks for the reviews and views. Here's the new chapter. And I've noticed that I haven't done the disclaimer for a couple of chapters. Anyway, I do not own Naruto. I wish that could be clear to everyone...stupid copyright laws.**

**_Chapter 8_**

A week later, Team 9 waited impatiently at a Training Ground for Guy, who was uncharacteristically running late. Naruto was warming up by doing pushups, and TenTen was throwing shuriken at a tree. The shuriken's path would curve as it approached the tree, a trick she had been trying to perfect. Neji was slowly moving between Gentle Fist sequences, breathing evenly.

TenTen harrumphed irately as one shuriken went wide left. "Dammit, when is sensei going to get here? We got here at six, and it's been half an hour or more!" Naruto flipped to a standing position and mockingly bowed toward TenTen, hands together.

"Patience, young Grasshopper. Great things come to people who wait," he said sagely with a light sarcastic tone. TenTen glared at him and launched a shuriken at him. Naruto caught between his fingers and waggled another at TenTen. "Now, now, now. The student cannot yet defeat the master."

"You little-!" She lunged at him, hands curled into fists. The two got into a huge scuffle, and Neji shook his exasperatedly. The scuffle lasted until TenTen was on the blonde's back and pulling his hair. "Ha! Got you!"

"Ow! Dammit, you girl! Quit pulling out my hair!"

"I'll show you girl!" TenTen tried to hold him with one hand and draw back the other, but Naruto flipped her onto the ground. They rolled into a tree, pulling and kicking at each other. "Wraa! Naruto, you bit me!" shouted TenTen, yanking an arm back. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her.

"Whatcha gonna do about?"

"This!" She walloped him on the side of the head and tried to choke him.

"Ack! Lemme go!"

"Cry mercy!"

"Never!"

"Alright!" She squeezed harder. Naruto painstakingly bent over, reaching for something on his legs. His hands slowly lifted up his pant legs and detached his weights. They fell to the ground with a heavy _boom._ "Heh-heh! Wait-what are you doing?" Her hold loosened enough for Naruto to grin at her.

"This!" He took off, taking TenTen with him. Both were blurs as Naruto raced around the Grounds. TenTen tried to scream, but the air tore it from her. "You having fun?" Neji stopped in his sequences and watched the two bolt by him, the slipstream nearly knocking him off his feet. Naruto screeched to a halt, a dizzy TenTen on his back. She looked slightly green as she slid off.

"Erf, I'm gonna be sick," she said, ducking into some bushes. Retching noises could be heard moments later. Neji glared at Naruto.

"Uzumaki-san, I think you may have gone too far."

"What? Nah, just gave her a ride she'll never forget," replied Naruto, grinning. "Would you like one, teme?"

"I'd rather not. I like to keep my breakfast in my stomach," said Neji dryly. He returned to his Gentle Fist sequences, leaving a grinning Naruto to himself. The bushes parted, and TenTen stumbled out, face pale. She walked a few more steps before sitting down heavily.

"I think I just lost my breakfast," she muttered, voice faint. Naruto grinned at her.

"Have fun?"

"HAVE FUN!? You just made me puke! I should-!"

"Hey, team! Leaf's Handsome Green Beast is here!" The three looked up to see Guy fall from the sky and land in front of them. "Miss me?"

"Sensei! Finally, you're here!" said TenTen, standing up, nausea gone. "What took you so long?"

Guy grinned and pulled two scrolls from his pack. "I got presents for you and Naruto. New jutsu!" He looked at Neji. "Sorry. Didn't get you anything. Figured you wouldn't learn it anyway." Neji nodded his head agreeably. The Jonin looked back at the other two. TenTen had sparkles in her eyes and Naruto's hand was inching forward toward the scroll in Guy's hand.

Guy snatched it away, Naruto lowering his hand sadly. The Jonin grinned. "You'll get the presents after your exercise." A moan escaped TenTen.

"Aw, c'mon sensei! Can't we have a break every once in a while? We've gone on several missions this week and trained every morning!"

Guy grinned. "You had a break last week, and you chose to cut it short. Are you regretting your choice?" TenTen grumbled but didn't reply. Of course she didn't regret it; even though she complained, this kind of training wasn't the kind people walked away from. That and this team couldn't stay away from each other for long. "That's what I thought. Now, one hundred laps around the village! Go!"

Neji and TenTen took off immediately, Naruto hurrying after them while clipping his weights back to his legs. "Hey, wait up!" After three hours the laps took, the team also did their calisthenics: two hundred pushups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. TenTen was panting by the end, Neji breathing heavily but keeping his composure. Only Naruto wasn't breathing hard.

TenTen scowled at him. "Why aren't you tired?"

"I'm used to this training, and just my practices with Iron Fist help my stamina. This helps me keep my strength up too," he replied, stretching. He looked at TenTen, a grin on his face. "Don't be jealous now."

"Pfft, as if. I've heard of the things you do, and I am not jealous."

"Good. You couldn't handle it."

"What'd you say!?"

"I said-,"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID!"

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Shut up!"

"TenTen, I _honestly_ don't where you wordplay inspiration comes from. It's so completely your own."

"You little-!" Neji placed an arm in between the two, acting as the rare pacifist. He usually let them bicker until they tired of it. He looked at TenTen, who had a blush mixed with an irritated face, and Naruto, who was sticking his tongue out at TenTen.

"Uzumaki-san, maybe if you would realize you're not a child, this team could function better," he stated, face stony. He turned away from the two, Naruto pouting. TenTen stuck out her tongue. "I can see you, TenTen." TenTen looked away guiltily. Naruto, however, got an impish look.

"Oh, so it's _TenTen _now? Not TenTen-san? Aw isn't that-,"

"BLONDIE, SHUT THE HELL UP!" She clubbed him with a hammer she had unsealed in an instant, and the blonde skidded into a tree. Neji frowned at him, puzzled. He glanced back at TenTen, who was flushed. She glared at Neji, who decided to let his question remained unspoken. She turned back to Naruto, who had sat up and was gingerly touching a knot on his head. "That's what you get for that."

"Lord, no need to try to murder me. And where the hell did you get the hammer!?"

TenTen grinned. "A specialty weapons shop." Actually, she had gotten it as a gift from her dad. So far, she hadn't used it but had kept it close. Now she had a definite use for it. Naruto shook his head, the knot slowly going down on its own.

"I guess you used seals to pull it out so fast?" It was the only way, frankly.

"Yeah," she replied slowly, "how'd you know?"

Naruto grinned and unsealed two kunai into his hand. "'Cause I can do it too." TenTen blinked as her jaw hit the floor, and Neji nodded. "What? Didn't know?" TenTen shook her head. "Well, now you do."

"But I never noticed!"

"Really? I was working on seals on the last C-rank. Not that you were paying attention. You were giggling about something with Yakumo."

"Hey! Don't blame me! I just-just, well, I needed another girl to talk to!" Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her.

"No offense, but I think even teme noticed the seals, right?" said Naruto, looking at Neji, who nodded. "You're the only one out of the loop here, even sensei-," Abruptly, the blonde stopped and frowned. "Where is sensei anyway?" A light breeze filtered through the clearing as they all blinked confusedly.

"Yeah," said TenTen, twisting herself to look around, "where is Guy-sensei? He gave us the exercises and then poof-he's gone." She turned to Neji. "Think you could find him?"

"Easily." Neji activated his dojutsu, and after a few moments frowned. "Guy-sensei isn't far, but his chakra is almost everywhere, as if it's a part of the wind…but it is like remnants of his chakra." Neji frown deepened as he puzzled over it, but Naruto shrugged.

"We can ask him when we find him. Now where is he, teme?" Neji momentarily considered leading them astray, or at least Naruto, but decided against it. He pointed to the northwest. "Good teme." A murderous glare between his shoulder blades, Naruto hurried in front of them to find Guy.

They found him, as Neji had pointed, northwest of their position, and when they arrived, a hollow boom resounded in the air. "Team! Glad you've arrived!" shouted Guy, waving a sooty hand energetically. He was covered patchily with ash, making his jumpsuit look camouflage. Guy stood in the center of a depression barren of grass, and TenTen frowned.

"Erm, sensei? What exactly were you doing?" Guy looked at the ground, at them, at the ground, and then back again. He tucked his arms behind him before speaking.

"Well, I was making sure I could do the jutsu I brought you. Never hurts to know!" answered Guy, grinning sheepishly. TenTen sweatdropped as Naruto shook his head amusedly.

"What do you mean you couldn't do the jutsu!?" demanded TenTen.

"Well, I didn't say _that_-,"

"You might as well!"

"Well, it's been a while-,"

"You're a Jonin! An effing elite of ninja!"

"I still forget, but there's good news: I can still do them!" announced Guy happily. TenTen snorted angrily but decided to drop the subject. She still wanted to learn the jutsu, even though her sensei might not know if it could kill her or not.

Guy created two clones, both of which kept his ruined clothes, and handed one a scroll. "TenTen, you're with the one with the scroll." The clone holding the scroll gave her a thumbs-up, and the two parted from the group. "Neji, you're with the other." Neji nodded, and he and the clone disappeared into the forest.

The real Guy turned to an excited Naruto, who was tapping a foot impatiently. "When are you gonna teach me the jutsu, sensei? Now?" he asked hopefully, though he wouldn't be surprised if it waited after Iron Fist. And he was right.

"No, not yet. It's going to wait for a bit. Now, time for Iron Fist!" '_Great.'_ After two hours of painful training involving several kicks to gut for Naruto, Guy called the practice to the end, or at least the Iron Fist part. Naruto was gasping, trying to regain his breath. He glowered at Guy. The last kick had been particularly painful.

"Guy-sensei, sometimes I wonder if I'm your student or your archenemy," said Naruto sarcastically, rolling his right shoulder, a recipient of a punch. Guy grinned at him.

"If you were my enemy, you wouldn't be getting up," he stated brightly. He pulled out a scroll from his back holster, and the blonde's eyes brightened. "Now we're going to start the jutsu training." He tossed it to Naruto, who caught and unfurled it in a single motion. He began to read, and the more he read, the more his eyebrows came together.

He looked up questioningly at Guy and pointed toward the scroll. "**Great Breakthrough**? A wind jutsu? What is this going to do, refresh my enemies?"

"Read more, Naruto," said Guy. Naruto frowned but continued to read.

"_Power varies on the chakra utilized in the handsigns_," read Naruto aloud, "_The power can vary from a breeze to a typhoon-like wind_." He frowned again. "I don't recall there being a strong wind earlier while you were practicing, sensei."

Guy laughed nervously. "Well, maybe you didn't notice it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Can you show me the jutsu? You can use it, can't you?" His sensei froze and regarded him suspiciously.

"I could…but why can't you do it yourself? I mean, the scroll spells it out right there," replied Guy slowly.

"Yeah, but I need to see how it works, sensei. I'm a visual learner, and you showing me the jutsu could really-,"

"Oh alright!" said Guy hotly, snatching the scroll from Naruto. He pored over the signs needed, muttering to himself, and then dropped the scroll. "Alright, here goes. **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough**!" He went through five signs and focused his chakra into the last sign. Naruto leaned back against a tree, seeing if his guess was to be right. A few moments later, a light breeze swayed the leaves on the trees. Naruto grinned; it had been.

Guy hung his head. "Darn. Thought I had it there." He glanced at Naruto. "Hope you're happy."

"I am. It's kinda funny that a Jonin can't get a decent wind out of it though," said Naruto.

Guy glared at him. "Wind isn't my affinity, not even close." Naruto tilted his head, obviously not knowing about affinities. Guy explained, "Affinities are factors in ninja that allow them to perform certain elemental jutsu easier. Affinities are different for everyone. Mine's earth, completely different from wind. Not to mention I'm horrible at ninjutsu."

"How do you find your affinity?" asked Naruto curiously.

"There are certain papers that'll react to your chakra, but I didn't bring any. I'll try to remember, but you find it in any competent ninja goods store. Ask for chakra paper." Guy sighed. "Anyway, practice the handsigns first." Guy sprung a question on the blonde. "Try to guess why."

Naruto blinked but after a second answered, "A more powerful jutsu that requires more handsigns is not necessarily superior to a lesser one with less handsigns. Time is key." He blinked again. "Right?" Guy nodded, smiling. Naruto grinned and caught the scroll as Guy tossed it. He unfurled it and slowly began to make the signs: Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, and Snake. After twenty minutes, Naruto was satisfied with his speed and stood.

"Ready?" asked Guy. Naruto nodded. "Alright, when you get to the last sign, concentrate any amount of chakra into the jutsu and the air. I would-,"

Naruto finished the sentence, "-Start off with not that much." Naruto grinned at him. "Oh, well." He flipped through the signs within seconds and focused a huge amount of chakra into the air around him. "Here it goes! **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough**!"

* * *

TenTen turned toward the clone as the two arrived at a tiny clearing. She grinned as the clone took out the scroll. "So we're gonna start now?" The clone playfully tossed it to her, and TenTen readied herself to catch it, but the scroll was snatched out of the air. She glared at the clone, which held the scroll again. "Hey! Give me that!"

"You have to hit me first," said clone, taunting her by holding the scroll close to her. TenTen hissed and threw several kunai toward the clone, which jumped to the side of a tree. "You have to do better than that, TenTen." She responded with shuriken flying straight for him. This kind of pattern went on for the two hours or so, every weapon always coming a hair-breadth from hitting him. She snorted angrily as another shuriken went wide.

'_Might as well try the curve,'_ she thought, placing her fingers correctly on the shuriken. Her eyes followed the form of the clone as he hopped tree to tree. She distinguished a pattern, and then launched the shuriken. '_Hope this works!'_ The shuriken continued on its course, and for a second TenTen felt confident it would hit. However, the clone changed its path just enough for the shuriken to miss. TenTen stamped a foot and swore.

A sudden gale of wind tore through the clearing, taking several branches with it. The wind seemed to grab the shuriken and hurl it straight at the stunned clone, which caught it with its chest. It dispelled, the smoke being ripped away by the wind. TenTen herself could barely stand. '_Where the hell did this wind come from?'_

* * *

The original Guy felt the rush of memories arrive from the unfortunate clone, but ignored as he gazed at Naruto in amazement. The blonde was gasping, the jutsu surprisingly leaving him tired, but the results of his jutsu were very clear. Several nearby trees had been uprooted, and trees further out had lost branches. Leaves were strewn everywhere except in a small perfect circle around Naruto. '_That jutsu was at least a high C, if not a B-rank,'_ thought Guy. He then noticed the memories, and smiled. '_Pure luck, but I'll let it pass.'_ He created another clone, feeling his chakra drop dangerously, and it faded into the brush.

Naruto rose uncertainly, his legs wobbly. "Damn, that jutsu took a lot from me. It was like it needed more the longer it went on." He paused as he surveyed the damage around him. "Uh, did I do that?" Guy nodded. "Erm, can I take a guess at what my affinity is? Just for kicks?"

"Sure," replied Guy, having already guessed.

"Wind."

* * *

TenTen blinked as the wind subsided. Several trees had been stripped of leaves and/or its branches, and the clone was nowhere in sight. She hadn't seen it dispel. "Sensei, where'd you go?" No one answered. "C'mon, if I hit you and you're being a sissy, I'm gonna laugh!" Still, nothing. "Sensei, the longer you hide, the less time I have to practice that jutsu!" Something bumped into her foot, and she looked down. It was the scroll. She grinned as she picked it up. "Oh, yeah! Look at th-!"

The scroll disappeared out of her hand, and she looked around wildly. "Hey!" A clone materialized in front of her, holding the scroll and grinning. "Give that back! I got it fair and square!" she demanded, pointing her finger uncomfortably close to his face. The clone moved as if to jump back into the trees again, and she unsealed her staff. "No, you don't!" She thwacked the clone on the leg and wrenched back the scroll. "Mine!"

The clone yelped in pain but luckily didn't dispel. "Ow! Alright, you win! I was joking!" TenTen glared at him as she resealed the staff. "What?"

"Don't joke about that!" she said, sitting down and opening the scroll. She read the name of the jutsu. "**Lightning Release: Static Current**." She looked at the clone. "Erm, sensei, aren't Lightning jutsus a bit temperamental, not to mention almost all of them are B-ranks or higher?"

"This jutsu is different, believe me," reassured the clone. She shrugged and read. '_Power depends on amount of chakra used in jutsu. Potential rank: C-A.'_ Her eyebrows lifted in interest as she studied the signs needed, numbering five.

The clone stood patiently as TenTen read. It thought, '_This jutsu is the twin to __**Breakthrough. **__Both are perfect to give to beginners in jutsu as they require no elemental training.'_

After thirty minutes or so, TenTen stood, her hands making the signs slowly. "You ready?" asked the clone, receiving a nod as an answer. She closed her eyes and imagined the handsigns, her hands following her.

At the final one, her eyes whipped open, and she shouted, "**Lightning Style: Static Current!**" The distinct smell of ozone filled the air, and the clone felt a shiver of misgiving. A crackling noise came from TenTen, and she parted her hands, electricity arcing between her fingers. She gazed at it in awe, before grinning at the clone and pointing a finger at a tree.

The lightning jumped from her finger to the tree, exploding the top half and leaving it smoking. "How was-," she started, but collapsing before she could finish. She caught herself with her hands before she hit the ground, but her arms gave out as well. She moaned as she laid face-down.

The clone hurried and kneeled beside her, worrying that she had exhausted herself. '_Good God, Naruto and now TenTen. I've been handed two ninjutsu tanks._' The clone sweatdropped. _'They really do need a different sensei, but I'll do my best.'_ TenTen stirred, and the clone bent his head to listen to her.

"Ow, that hurt," she groaned, trying to push herself up, but falling, "Gah, can barely move."

"How much chakra did you put in it?"

"I don't know," she glanced at the still-smoking tree, "Apparently a lot. I don't use ninjutsu that much, so," she winced, "I can only guess at how much I put in a jutsu."

"Well, what's your guess?"

TenTen considered the question for moment. "Maybe three-quarters or so. I kinda wanted to see how powerful I could charge it to." The clone shook his head; she and Naruto were just alike sometimes.

"Think you can do anything else besides sit?" asked the clone.

"I don't know. Maybe I could read more of the scroll, experiment-hey, that gives me an idea." She unsealed her staff and examined it. "I think this'll work, or at least I hope it will," she muttered, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Can't remember if this fiberglass or aluminum…" She stood, supporting her body with her staff.

"What are you-,"

"You'll see, sensei," interrupted TenTen, resealing the staff. She quickly made the necessary signs for **Static Current**, and crackling was heard as her hands part. Lightning ran across her palms but the clone could sense this was lot less powerful than the last one. She unsealed the staff again and gripped it, wanting to see the results.

The lightning jumping across her palms disappeared, and the staff sparked at both ends. Ringlets of electricity twirled from end to end, illuminating the area around TenTen. The clone took a step back; TenTen was likely to experiment by whacking him again. She, however, twirled the staff at an ever-increasing speed, throwing sparks and light at odd angles. Eventually, the staff was but a blur, and the clone could only watch in awe. '_She can power the jutsu this long?' _TenTen move gracefully as she moved between staff stances. She ended the marvel by directing the electricity toward the stump, obliterating it.

* * *

Neji watched the spectacle from afar with his dojutsu. '_Amazing, I have to say. One could even say-,'_ he ducked under a kick from the clone he was sparring with '-_beautiful.'_

"Do pay attention, Neji!" yelled the clone, landing a solid punch on Neji's chest.

* * *

TenTen panted as she stared at the pile of ash that was the stump. She leaned against her staff, and sighed in relief. "Good thing this was metal. I probably would've spent all of my chakra to light up a fiberglass one." She stumbled back a few steps against a tree, and slid down to the ground. "Oh, _now _I'm tired."

"Maybe you should've taken it easier. That first jutsu and now this can really take a toll on beginners!" TenTen shrugged noncommittally, her eyelids fluttering. "Hey, TenTen! Don't go to sleep!"

She gave a tired grin. "Too late, sensei." She slumped to the ground, sleeping deeply. The clone scratched his head, wondering at what to do. He could dispel and immediately inform the original, but that would leave TenTen alone. It sounded like a good idea, if the original acted quickly enough. The last time he was too busy with Naruto to notice. The clone shrugged; they, Guy, could move faster than the wind. Why worry? The clone dispelled, sending the memories to Guy.

Guy, who was watching Naruto as the blonde read over the uses of the jutsu, jerked as the memories rushed in. He frowned. "Hey, Naruto, er, take care. Something's up with TenTen," he said, glancing at the blonde. Naruto looked up, brows furrowed.

"As in?"

"Er, well, the jutsu kinda took a lot out from her, and she's out-cold for the time being. So well, I kinda gotta-,"

"Alright, alright, sensei. You don't have to tell me the whole backstory or anything," said Naruto, waving a hand. He looked back down at the scroll in his lap. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me; worry about TenTen." Guy nodded and vanished from the clearing. Naruto kept reading. "Hmm…_can be used in tandem with projectiles or fire_…fire? Something with affinities maybe? Have to ask sensei…" Naruto kept muttering, eyes poring over the information.

Guy dashed over to TenTen, worrying slightly. '_I doubt anyone would come out this far, and TenTen's a trained shinobi. Trained under me.'_ A bit of pride affected the statement, and he smiled. '_Can't blame the clone though.'_ He burst into the clearing where TenTen lay, and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

Neji kneeled beside her, the veins around his eyes visible. "Her chakra became dangerously low, and I wanted to check on her," he explained without turning. "Her chakra is returning, though she may be unable to train for the remainder of the day." He blinked several times, the veins on his face disappearing. He turned to Guy. "She needs to be at home resting." The Jonin nodded.

"Could you take her? I need to stay with Naruto and meet Lee for training," asked Guy, jerking a thumb in the general direction of Naruto. Neji paused for second, arching an eyebrow at his sensei, but nodded. "Thanks. Do you know where her house is?"

"No, but her parents own Jinta Weapons, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good, I'll take her there." Neji picked up TenTen bridal-style and walked off. Guy blinked as the two faded. '_Huh..eh, strange.'_ He returned to Naruto, who was still reading.

"Hey, sensei, how was TenTen?" he asked without looking up.

"She's okay, but she needs rest. Neji's taking her home and-,"

Naruto looked up this time, an odd expression on his face. "Wait, you said Neji, right?" Guy nodded. Naruto grinned mischievously. He created a clone. "Sensei, I gotta go to the bathroom, so, uh, this clone'll ask you a question. Bye!" Naruto skipped out of the clearing, teasing clearly on his mind. The Jonin moved to halt him, but the clone stepped in front of him.

"Naruto, if you think you can stop me, you are sorely mistaken," threatened Guy.

The clone snorted. "I know that full well. But I do have a question for you: what's with fire and wind? In the scroll it says…"

* * *

The real Naruto rustled along in the brush none too quietly, trying to find Neji and TenTen. He growled as he tripped over a rock, and Naruto jumped up to the tree branches. '_Stupid rocks.'_ He jumped from tree to tree, scanning the ground below him. '_They gotta be around here somewhere…ah-ha!'_ Neji had made his way to a rough dirt road, TenTen still in his arms. '_Aw, so cute…and so ready to be teased.'_ He jumped down in front of Neji, startling him. "Hey, teme!"

"Uzumaki-san, what are you doing here? Guy-sensei said he was to stay with you," said Neji, annoyed.

"Well, you know, skipping out. Now-oh-what do we have here?" said Naruto, pretending to just notice TenTen. "Aw, aren't you sweet, teme? Just the regular knight in shining armor. But I gotta ask, where's the horse? I mean that would complete the picture."

"Uzumaki-san, be quiet."

"TenTen is just the perfect damsel-well, not to me, but to you- I mean you're so _cute _together-,"

"Uzumaki-san, silence or you will regret it."

"So I gotta ask, when's the wedding? Have the presses been informed? Have her parents-,"

"SHUT UP, BAKA!" roared TenTen, slugging Naruto into a tree.

"Told you so, Uzumaki-san."

"Shut your mouth, teme," said Naruto faintly.

TenTen looked at Neji, who still held her, and blushed. "Eh, Neji, I-I think I-I'll be alright." The Hyuuga nodded , and she slid from his arms. "Thanks for that, but I kinda faked sleeping while you were holding me-,"

"Ohhh-TenTen, you naughty girl," teased Naruto, extracting himself from a cluster of broken branches.

"SHUT IT!"

"Aw, you're no fun sometimes."

"So," said TenTen, returning her attention to Neji, "I guess I'm sorry?"

"No need to be. I did not mind."

"Really?" said TenTen, eyes sparkling.

"Of course, you are my teammate, after all." She slumped at this, but riled up at the sound of Naruto's laughter.

"Rejected!"

"I swear to God, Naruto, I tell Neji here who your crush is if you don't stop!" warned TenTen. Neji frowned, not entirely understanding. What difference could it make if he knew Naruto's crush or not? Neji didn't even want to know, to start. Naruto quit laughing, and though neither of them could see him, Neji could imagine the bewildered look Naruto probably had.

"Y-You wouldn't dare, TenTen. I-I'd do something worse," countered Naruto weakly, his disembodied voice floating from the tops of the trees. A triumphant look flicked across TenTen's face, and she grinned.

"You don't know that, blondie. What worse could you do?"

There was quiet as Naruto seemed to consider it. "Well…don't doubt my abilities. I will think of something! Soon!" There was a rustling noise, and Naruto's voice faded. The two stood there for a second, Neji activating his dojutsu to actually check.

"He's gone," stated Neji, TenTen nodding. He looked over at her. What he had said about her being a teammate was true; she was very dear teammate to him. He couldn't go as far as to say he had romantic feelings for her, but he conceded to himself that the possibility of them developing later was most definitely there. She met his eyes, now devoid of the dojutsu, and smiled tiredly.

"Thanks for that, Neji. Really. But I have a favor…to ask…you," she swayed, and was caught by Neji before she fell.

"TenTen, I hope this is not another ploy to get me to carry you," said Neji dryly. TenTen didn't answer, but cracked an eye open and smiled at him. She closed it, and her head fell to the side. "TenTen, do not kid with me." He frowned as she didn't answer. "TenTen," he repeated sternly. A light snore replied. He was surprised; she truly was asleep. He guessed she had been mad enough at Naruto to keep awake. Neji shook his head, the corners of his mouth curling into an amused smile. He picked her up bridal-style again, and steadily made his way to her parents' shop.

* * *

Naruto rushed back toward the clearing he had left his clone. '_It's been a while. What are they-no wait, there it is.'_ The memories received told him of the relationship between fire and wind; wind essentially bolstered any fire technique. Guy had given a longwinded explanation, but that been the gist of it anyway. '_Be cool if I could learn a fire technique. Could have a clone on the side and then BOOM-big fireball.'_

He thought along these lines as he emerged into the clearing. Lee had already arrived and was sparring with Guy. "Hello, Naruto-san!" he greeted, tumbling past the blonde and into a tree. He rebounded instantly and tore toward Guy. "I am sorry. I am very busy here!"

"Obviously," said Naruto, taking a stand off to the side to watch. '_Touza shouldn't be long now.' _Naruto watched the pair fight for a few minutes, at times the fight moving too fast for him to follow. It was better than the first time, however; both Guy and Lee had been nothing but blurs to his fresh eyes, even at their slowest. The blonde winced as Lee landed a punch on Guy's leg, but cringed as Guy sent the boy flying with a kick with the same leg.

"You opened yourself up for that one, Lee! If an opponent can ignore pain, you'll be defeated easily!" remonstrated Guy, "That's two hundred laps around the village!"

"Hai, Guy-sensei!" Naruto shook his head. '_As if any sane person could ignore one of Lee's punches. It's like getting hit by a train.'_ The two sparred for a couple more minutes, and then Guy turned to Naruto.

"Care to join us, Naruto?"

"Sure, have to anyway," replied Naruto, shrugging off his jacket. He hung it on a tree branch that held his pack, and he grinned as he took position in front of the two. "So who am I going against?" Lee and Guy both grinned.

Lee explained, "Actually, Naruto-san, Guy-sensei and I have decided to have an every-man-for-himself-type competition. We were hoping you would join."

Naruto crossed his arms, considering it. He would be hopelessly outmatched, by number and skill, but then Lee and Guy could just fight each other and Naruto take on the weakened winner. That might work, if the two were average shinobi. No, these two were superhuman stamina tanks that could even outlast Naruto on his best day. But then, why not fight? "Sure, might as well."

Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit! Begin!" With little warning, both Guy and Lee vanished from Naruto's sight. '_Uh-oh.'_ A meaty sound alerted him to a clash between the two, and he focused on the spot he had heard the sound. Nothing. '_There's no way I can keep up with them unless I take off my-,' _The blonde's thoughts were interrupted by Lee, who reappeared to his right and threw a shattering punch at his head.

Naruto bent backward, narrowly dodging. He lashed out with a kick, but Lee was long gone. He caught sight of a taller green blur tearing toward him, and he braced for impact. Guy slowed to a visible speed as he neared, and Naruto was able to defend himself adequately for the time Guy flurried him with punches. Lee soon occupied Guy, leaving him open to Naruto. The blonde tried to land a hit, but the Jonin simply vanished again. '_Gah! My eyes need to get faster!'_

A whistling sound caused Naruto roll to the side, Lee's kick grazing his shoulder. As Lee departed to focus on Guy, the blonde concentrated on him. '_You may not be special, but predict, darnnit! Predict and see his movements!'_ Slowly, painstakingly, Lee became clear. Not every movement was, but all the ones that mattered to Naruto were. '_There!'_ Putting a burst of speed, at which he was probably low- or mid-Chunin now, the blonde closed the distance between them, and launch a strike at Lee's gut.

Lee, caught off-guard and clearly not thinking Naruto could keep up with him, coughed as Naruto made contact with his target. The blonde tried to follow it up with a heaving kick, but Lee hopped away. He bolted to the side, hoping to confound the blonde, but Naruto easily intercepted him and began a furious trading of blows with him. "You are getting better, Naruto-san," complimented Lee, eliciting a grin from Naruto, "but this is not my full strength."

Lee suddenly vanished. '_Not again!'_ Naruto looked around wildly, and received a powerful kick to the chest. He grunted painfully as he slammed into a tree. '_Definitely something broken,'_ he thought, laying there. Guy appeared in front of him.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly. Naruto nodded; speaking hurt right now. A painful _crack_ was heard, both of them flinching, and Naruto let out a slow breath.

"I'll be fine in a half-hour or so. In the meantime…" he looked up. The tree he had slammed into had the branch from which his jacket and pack hung. The blonde retrieved them, Guy returning to sparring. He unzipped the pack and pulled out his brush, ink, and scroll. Next on the list: barriers, and it was very possible he would run into problems later on.

The book advised to start on explosive seals after storage, saying their matrices or whatever were inversely related, but Naruto decided to skip it. He didn't want to learn explosive tags anymore after the C-rank, and even though it meant he might forfeit the title of fuinjutsu master due to not knowing explosives. The blonde didn't really care for that title as much as Hokage.

He pored over the book, taking note of the patterns between each one. He flipped the page. After fifteen minutes of reading, Naruto took the brush and dipped it into the ink. He drew the exterior of a barrier seal slowly. The book had said, as it did for every seal, that this could go horribly awry if not encased properly. He was about to close the circle when-

"BOOGIE-WOOGIE-WOOGIE!"

"Godda-!" Naruto's hand jerked, and a streak ruined the entire process. The blonde glared at the direction of the noise, guessing it was Touza. The boy was not there, however. "Hey, Touza, where the heck did you go?" demanded Naruto, getting up. Guy and Lee stopped in their fight to look at the blonde curiously.

"Are you alright, Naruto-san?" inquired Lee.

"Yeah. Just that Touza scared me-again."

"Who?" The blonde remembered that Lee had never known the name of the boy who watched almost every spar.

"The boy that comes and watches the fights?"

"Oh, that is right. Did you not hear him approach?"

"No. If there's one thing that's annoying about Touza, it's that he moves like a ghost."

Lee nodded, blinking. Naruto turned his back to them, eyes searching the upper branches. '_Where the hell did the little guy go?'_ A loud "BOO!" and a high, girlish scream caused him to turn. Touza stood there laughing and pointing to a horrified Lee and Guy. The poor Jonin was in Lee's arms, clutching to him. Lee looked uncomfortably at his sensei.

"Ah, sensei? There is only one person I would like to carry in my arms, and unfortunately that one person is not you." He dropped Guy unceremoniously, the man falling face-first into the ground. Lee brushed himself off and looked to Touza, who was snickering. "My guess is that you are Touza-san?" The other nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Naruto creeped sneakily behind the boy and tapped him on the shoulder. Touza, instead of jumping, lazily tilted his head back. "Yes, Naruto-san?" The blonde facepalmed; it was hopeless.

Guy stood from where Lee had dropped him, wearing a bright expression. "Hello, Touza! How are you?" He had apparently forgotten or didn't care that the boy had frightened him.

"Fine, Guy-san. Thanks," he answered, going to sit under the tree under which Naruto's study materials lay. He plopped down and tucked his knees under his chin. Lee watched him inquisitively.

"I have always seen him but it never occurred to me to ask his name," he said thoughtfully, as if it had disturbed him. Naruto clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook him.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, but it is just that I did not care…it worries me."

"Everyone's gonna overlook someone at some time. Don't sweat it, Lee," said Naruto, "Now you ready to go at it again?"

Lee turned to look at him and grinned. "Yes, I am!"

"Don't forget Leaf's Handsome Green Beast!"

Two grueling hours later, Naruto fell down heaving beside Touza. The boy looked at him concernedly for a second before returning his attention back to the blurred forms of the other two. Naruto groaned as he rolled over. "One hell of a workout, I tell ya…" He slowly sat up, all of his body protesting loudly. He watched the spar for a moment before addressing Touza, "That training help any?"

The other nodded. "Yeah. I could beat some of the others in practice fights. That was fun."

Naruto grinned. "Now just focus on your schoolwork and you won't be the Dead Last."

"Aw, I hate math and history and science and all the others things that Kitame-sensei blabs on about. It's so boring," groaned Touza, laying his forehead against his knees. "If you could help me…"

"That…would be a mistake. Even though I did study, I still did terrible on the written part of the Genin Exam. I'd probably teach it to you wrong."

"Aw."

"The only thing I could help you on is taijutsu. That's it."

"But you can't do that, right? You've got that weird stuff you study and all that."

"Well," said Naruto guiltily, "yeah. I could work something out though-," A sudden idea came to him, so sudden that he snapped his mouth shut and blinked several times.

"Eh, Naruto-san? What's wrong?"

Naruto, not answering, created a clone. He glanced at it. "Hey, Touza?"

"Yeah?"

"Go with this clone and train with it. It should be just like me."

"Really?"

"I hope so. We'll find out." He looked at the clone again, which saluted and walked into the forest, Touza tagging along. The blonde honestly had no clue if this would work, but he knew that a clone had the same knowledge as he did, so why couldn't they teach like he did?

Naruto, now with nothing occupying him, pulled the fuinjutsu material to him and studied. After a few minutes of review, he picked up the brush and wet its tip with ink. He meticulously drew the seal, at times looking over his shoulder to make sure Touza was sneaking up on him, and after thirty minutes had a basic barrier seal.

The book stated that it would protect from a shinobi of Genin strength, most projectiles, and low-powered jutsu. Naruto eagerly wanted to test it, but he held off. He would probably have to redraw the seal many times before he did test it. He studied the book, head bent close. The sky slowly changed to orange as the sun set.

A rush of memories interrupted the blonde's work. They told him that Touza was done for the day, but had made tremendous progress with his stances. The clone had waited until the panting boy had left the clearing before dispelling.

The blonde nodded vaguely. '_Today's been a good day.'_ He held up the new seal in front of the dying light. '_Now to test this.'_ He stood and laid the seal in his hand. '_The barrier should be seven feet diameter sphere. It also shouldn't collide with the ground. It shouldn't anyway. Let's see.'_ He concentrated chakra to the seal, apprehension filling him. A seal hadn't gone wrong on him yet but there was-

BOOM!

-always a first time for everything. Naruto coughed as smoke from the explosion cleared. He looked at his hand. It was burned, but even as he watched they scabbed over and slowly receded. '_Today was almost a good day.'_

* * *

Candles were lit in in the main room of Neji's house. Kinami sat in the middle of it on her bed. She was sweating and wincing as pain periodically panged through her. A medical ninja was beside her, his hands glowing with healing chakra. An excruciating jolt of pain knifed along her body, and she hunched over, tears barely withheld.

"Are you alright, Kinami-san?" asked the med-nin concernedly, laying a hand on her shoulder. She nodded her head, and stared straight at the wall. Behind the wall slept Neji, comfortably but plagued with worry for his mother. He had noticed when he'd come in that she was pained more than normal. She told to not him to worry, it was a passing phase. She smiled slightly as she remembered something: Neji, as he knelt by her, had smelled of a girl's perfume. '_Maybe he's finally branching out,'_ she thought before more pain stabbed though her.

The med-nin, noticing her cringe, sighed and sat back, a grave expression evident on his face. "Kinami-san, I hate to say it, but," he looked to the floor, obviously uncomfortable, "the disease had sped up. I give you," the nin fidgeted, "one month. Two months at best. But if it keeps progressing like it is currently…" He left his sentence unfinished.

Kinami nodded, and the med-nin rose and exited. She lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. Faintly, she could make out a conversation between the med-nin and someone else. The other's voice rose, and she identified it as Hiashi. The conversation stopped abruptly and a pair of stomping feet came toward her door.

Hiashi opened the door, looking as if he wanted to slam it to the side but knew better than to wake Neji. The med-nin protested, but was cut off when Hiashi shut the door. The Hyuuga patriarch took a seat against the wall, and put his head in his hands. Kinami sat up arduously, a coughing fit taking over her.

Hiashi gripped his hair tighter with each cough. Kinami's coughing faded, leaving her gasping. She smiled wanly. "Hello, Hiashi-sama. What can I do for you?"

He looked up at her, eyes clouded with misery. "Even in your worst hours," he said, "you still are a loyal Branch member." He rose and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with a bottle of sake and two cups. "Would you like some sake, Kinami?"

"No, thank you. I save that for special occasions and my stomach can't hold it anyway." Hiashi shrugged, pouring himself a shot. He downed it and poured another one. "Be careful, Hiashi-sama. That sake is strong."

Hiashi gazed at the floor at her words. "Hiahsi-sama…" he repeated absently. He snorted. "I'm not deserving of that title." He took another shot. "I do not know why fate has chosen me as the clan leader. It is a cruel mistress." Another shot. "A leader who cannot even repay his debts; indeed, a wondrous leader in any circumstance," said Hiashi ironically, words slurring.

"Debts, Hiashi-sama?"

"Yes, Kinami. I have a debt to Hizashi, to Hitomi, to you, to Hinata and Hanabi. I cannot name one person in this clan who I am not indebted to. And now-," Another shot of sake, "-yours and Hizashi's debt will never be repaid. I'm working on Hinata's, but the elders," his eyes hardened, "those old bastards want to brand her into the Branch Family. Damn that cursed invention of misery!"

"Please excuse me, Hiashi-sama, but could you watch your words?"

"Please quit calling me Hiashi-sama, Kinami. Just Hiashi, it's just Hiashi. And I don't give a damn what those old farts think! They can go die in a hole or they can submit themselves to my hand." A satisified look entered Hiashi's eyes. "Yes, I would make their deaths slow and very long."

"Hiashi-sama, please be quiet!"

"Quit calling me-," Hiashi's voice rose.

"Hiashi-dobe, be quiet!" The patriarch closed his mouth with a _clop_, and looked dolefully at Kinami, who blushed red.

"F-forgive me-," she winced as the pain panged again.

Hiashi regarded her, not quite believing what he had just heard. "Hiashi-…dobe?" He grinned. "You used to call me that when we were children." He laughed, the sake sloshing in its bottle. "I remember it so clearly…" He glanced at Kinami, his expression saddening. "I'm so sorry, Kinami."

"For what, Hiashi-sama?"

"For…everything."

"You did nothing," she protested, face tightening at the agony of the disease.

"Exactly."

**Well, there you go. Hoped you liked it. And for those wanting more NaruHina fluff, that's gonna wait. Why? Well, Hinata hasn't graduated so Naruto has limited contact with her. I have a few scenes planned out, but they're later on. Toodles.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi, people! Thanks for the reviews! Here's the chapter.**

**_Chapter 9_**

"God, I hate these flipping chores," mumbled TenTen, reining in a huge white dog. It yanked against its leash, taking her with it. "Ack! Halt! Stop! How the hell do I speak dog?"

"You can't unless you're an Inuzuka, TenTen," answered Naruto, handling three dogs, "I thought this would be easy, but they left out one detail: these are Inuzuka dogs." He likewise yanked on their leashes, only to be dragged across the ground.

"Do not pull on their leashes," advised Neji, "They will pull against you if you do."

"Oh, right. The great genius-teme knows everything," said Naruto sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Yet my dogs haven't tried to escape yet, Uzumaki-san," replied Neji dryly. He was handling the most out of the three of them: four dogs the size of small horses. Their tongues hung out of their mouth, and their tails were wagging as they plodded along.

"Shut up, teme." TenTen, however, looked at Neji curiously.

"Really?"

Neji nodded. "Try to walk in front of them. It makes things easier. When they pull against you, do not pull back." One of the dogs strained against its leash, and Neji snapped his head toward it. "Heel!" The dog stopped and shamefully hung its head as it lumbered back behind Neji. He looked back at TenTen. "That's what you do."

"B-but I've been doing that!" protested TenTen.

"Have you been saying it with authority?"

"Well, no…"

"Then that's your problem."

Naruto butted in. "So even the realm of knowing how to walk the damn dog isn't out of your reach, huh, teme?" All three dogs strained, and he yanked back, only for them to take off and drag him. "Stop, you stupid dogs! I swear, these guys are nearly as stupid as Kiba!"

Neji shook his head exasperatedly. TenTen grinned as Naruto hit a tree trunk. "That's gotta hurt," she said, "And thanks, Neji." She walked to the front of her dogs, and the two continued after a cursing Naruto creating multiple clones to hold back his dogs. They glanced back. Guy was behind them, an amused grin spreading across his face as he watched the blonde.

"Should we help Uzumaki-san, sensei?" asked Neji reluctantly. The Jonin shook his head; Naruto would learn eventually. The three caught up to Naruto, still cursing but holding back the dogs now, and he glared at Neji.

"I hate to ask, but what the hell did you say to make them behave, teme?" said Naruto, getting over his pride. A muscle in his forehead twitched, though. It wasn't easy.

Neji smirked. "Heel, but say it in an authoritative voice or you'll be going on another ride across the ground." Naruto resisted the urge to smack the smirk off Neji's face, and turned back to his own dogs. He stepped out in front of them, and the four continued in relative peace, one of them calling "Heel!" sporadically. Finally, they had made their rounds and returned back to the Inuzuka estate.

A lady with short, spiky brown hair and feral eyes was waiting for them. She grinned lopsidedly as she saw the battered Naruto. "Have fun, pup?" she asked. He glared at her. "What? No fun?"

"Oh, shut up, lady," replied Naruto irritably, handing over his dogs' leashes.

A deep, gruff voice berated him. "I'd be careful to who you talk to, pup." The blonde turned, a retort ready, but it died once he saw the speaker. A gigantic wolfish dog with black fur and a white underside stood off in an alley, his one eye, as the other was covered with an eyepatch, staring intensely at Naruto. "What's wrong, pup? Never seen a talking dog?"

Naruto's mouth opened and closed several times in confusion. After a period of silence, "What kind of question is that!?"

"What kind of brat talks to the pack leader of the Inuzuka like that?" countered the dog, padding out of the alley and next to the lady, who patted his head.

"What kind of dog-wait, what? Pack leader?" Naruto glanced at the lady, who gave a feral grin.

"That's right, pup," she said, jerking toward herself with a thumb, "I'm Tsume Inuzuka, Inuzuka pack leader. Got a problem with it?"

"Well, actually yeah!" Neji facepalmed himself. Naruto sometimes didn't know when to quit. "You didn't say we were walking Inuzuka dogs! That's kinda a big deal! Not some average guy can walk these damn dogs!"

"Watch your tongue, brat, or I might just have it for dinner," growled the dog, his hair rising.

"It's alright, Kuromaru. You hear the same from Kiba-kun, right?" said Tsume, stroking his fur. Kuromaru narrowed his eye at Naruto and growled again, but didn't argue. Only one part had really stuck with Naruto.

"Wait…Kiba? How do you know Kiba?"

She glanced at him. "He's my pup."

"Your son?" repeated Naruto incredulously. He studied Tsume closer, and then nodded. "I can see the resemblance. The same eyes that will forever creep me out." She smiled.

"How do you know Kiba-kun, then?" she asked.

"I was in his class."

"Was?"

"I graduated early."

"Good. A thirteen-year old should have by that time."

"Lady, I'm eleven," corrected Naruto flatly. Sometimes it was really annoying when people guessed his age way off; at least they were guessing older instead of younger.

"Close enough." Guy cleared his throat, catching Tsume's attention. "Yeah, Guy?"

"The report, Tsume-san?" he asked.

"Oh, here." She extracted a folded piece of paper from her back paper and handed it to Guy. "Signed and everything. Just gotta return it to Hokage-sama."

"Thank you very much, Tsume-san."

"Like hell," mumbled Naruto.

"Alright, brat! That's it for the disrespect!" roared Kuromaru, lunging at Naruto. The blonde froze, not quite comprehending the huge beast of a dog sailing toward him. He tensed his muscles but inwardly knew that the dog was coming too fast, he too slow. '_Shi-!'_

"Kuromaru! Back down!" barked Tsume. Kuromaru snapped his mouth shut and sailed past Naruto harmlessly. As he landed, he turned to face her, eying her questioningly. "It's alright. I don't mind a little backtalk." She grinned at the blonde, exposing her large canines. "As long as they know who's the alpha here."

Naruto looked like he was about to respond, but TenTen put a hand over his mouth. She answered for him, "He says thanks for saving him, right, Naruto?" His face conveyed that wasn't even close to what he would say, and TenTen glared at him. Naruto petulantly turned his head to the side, and TenTen pulled back her hand.

"That'll be all for today, Tsume-san," said Guy, bowing. Team 9 also bowed, Naruto unwillingly as TenTen pulled him down by the ear. Tsume nodded respectfully toward Guy, and the two disappeared into the Inuzuka compound, Kuromaru sending the blonde murderous looks over his furry shoulder.

The others looked at Naruto. Neji, surprisingly, was the first to speak. "Uzumaki-san, how is it that you can infuriate someone you've only known for an entire minute?" The blonde grinned and scratched the back of head sheepishly.

"I don't know. It's a gift."

Neji snorted. "Such a marvelous gift it is. You nearly died."

"Hey, that dog-wolf-thing needs to learn how to relax, teme!"

"Or you could learn how to hold your tongue, or you might just lose it to someone, Uzumaki-san. And for your information, Kuromaru-san is a ninken, not some mutant of a canine."

"Shut up, teme!"

"I would if you were correct, but you always make mistakes."

TenTen cut in at this point, her annoyance evident. "Look here, boys, don't get your panties in bunch over something stupid and we could get this mission over with!"

In front of everyone, the words that left Naruto's mouth were, "TenTen, why the heck do you have to join in and make this a threesome?" Silence pervaded among the group as his words hit them. Naruto, realizing what he just said, clamped a hand over his mouth and looked fearfully at the other two. TenTen and Neji both had bright red blushes, and they exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Uzumaki-san…" began Neji coldly, the veins around his eyes popping out.

"You are going to die, my friend!" finished TenTen, pulling out her hammer. Naruto squeaked before taking off down the street, TenTen and Neji in hot pursuit. "Come back here, BAKA!"

"Gotta catch me first!" Guy put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. '_Wonder when these three are going to murder each other.'_ He shunshinned away, intending Naruto's skin.

After narrowly saving Naruto from a slow and painful death and restraining a livid TenTen, Guy exhaled in relief. Neji had halted as soon as he had sensed Guy, and the Hyuuga came up behind them. TenTen was still snorting hostilely in Naruto's direction, who was tucked behind a tree trunk, occasionally poking his head out. Guy rubbed his temples. "Are we ready to turn in the mission?" he asked, looking between all of them.

They nodded uncertainly, Naruto coming from behind his tree. In an uneasy trot, the three made their way to the Hokage Tower. By the time they arrived, TenTen's anger had subsided, but she still threatened Naruto with a painful death if he said anything like that again.

* * *

In Mission Report, a familiar face greeted Naruto. "Iruka-sensei! I thought you had to teach!" exclaimed Naruto happily. The scar-faced man smiled and scratched his nose self-consciously.

"Well, I thought it might be a change of pace to do this for today, and then go back to the Academy tomorrow," he answered.

The blonde smirked. "So you skipped out?"

"What-no!"

"Uh-huh. You can't stand 'em sometimes, can you?"

"Hey, it's been better with you graduating!"

Naruto replied in mock astonishment, "Aw, Kiba hasn't been causing enough trouble? Darn, thought I trained him better than that."

Iruka snorted, "As if he needs training with the clan he has."

"Whose dogs nearly murdered me," added Naruto.

TenTen jumped in, "Whose owner you pissed off."

"Hey, I pissed off the dog, not the lady."

"Either way-,"

"You calling Tsume-san a dog, TenTen?"

"No, you baka-,"

"ALRIGHT," thundered Guy, making them straighten and face forward. He turned to the Hokage, who was amused by the continual bickering of Team 9. "Hokage-sama, the mission's complete." Guy handed over the same paper Tsume had given him, and bowed. The Hokage quickly scanned the document and nodded.

"All seems to be in order. Will that be all, Guy?"

The Jonin hesitated. He wanted to get another C-rank, but it had been just three weeks since their first one. Not that he thought they couldn't handle it physically, but more importantly emotionally. The last one…well, it was been a fiasco. "Let me consult my team first." The old man nodded, and picked up a stack of papers to start on the tasking and tedious job of paperwork.

Guy turned to his team. Naruto was the first to speak. "Whatcha need to talk about, Guy-sensei?"

Guy searched around for the words that could properly phrase this. "Well," he started, "I was wondering if…would you three like to go on another C-rank mission? And please don't be hasty." Naruto's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he glanced at TenTen, who looked slightly uncomfortable.

Neji, after a moment, piped up, "Is this wise, sensei?"

"It's been three weeks, long enough for experienced ninja, but that's why I'm asking: has it been enough time?" The three traded looks, and eventually they nodded, even TenTen.

"We'll be fine, sensei," said Naruto confidently, TenTen smiling and twirling a kunai by its end ring. Guy beamed inwardly. '_This is a really promising team, even if they don't act like it sometimes.'_ He turned back to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama," said Guy, the old man peering at over the papers in his hand, "We've made a decision."

"And?"

"Yes, we would like to register for a C-rank."

The Hokage nodded sagely. "Wondering when that was going to happen. You've got twenty-five Ds on record, just ahead of Team 6 with twenty-three." He stroked his chin. "Yes, a good record for a single-team C-rank." He flipped through a booklet, "Let's see…an escort, a bandit clearing, patrol…"

"Hey, sensei, take the escort!" suggested Naruto.

"Naruto, don't interrupt the Hokage!" scolded Iruka.

"It's alright, Iruka," assured the old man. He looked over at Guy. "Will you take the escort?"

"If that's what my team wants," replied Guy, smiling amusedly. The Hokage peered through his glasses as he withdrew a paper and handed it to Guy, who signed it. "The client, Hokage-sama?"

He motioned to a Chunin near a door leading off to the side, and he opened it. A high-pitched, woman-like voice reached their ears, "Oh, has _my _mission been chosen already?" A fat man waddled into the room, the sash on his kimono close to ripping. "Oh, _these _are my glorious guards?" he inquired, his voice already starting to grate on everyone's nerves. The man twiddled with a mustache that curled at both ends as he studied the group.

Naruto resisted staring at the man. '_That voice…I swear, I don't know if he's fruity or what. I'm not getting near him either damn way. That voice creeps me out too much.' _The man's piggy eyes settled on him, and he gazed steadily back. "May I ask your name, sir?" asked Naruto politely.

"Oh, and _so _polite too," squealed the man, "I am Gorba Misogura, famous merchant of the Land of Merchants. You have heard of me, perhaps?" Dead silence filled the room as Team 9 regarded him awkwardly. Gorba visibly deflated. "Aw, my reputation does _not_ precede me." He brightened up again. "But it _will!_"

Neji's fingers twitched. '_The man is lucky that I have a high tolerance for stupidity.' _The man clapped his hands together eagerly, regaining Neji's attention. "Yes, now," began Gorba, "We are to meet at the village gate at noon! I need to travel back to the Land of Merchants, which is a few days travel from here!"

Naruto inwardly thought, '_Maybe for you, lardo.'_

Guy finished for the merchant, "So pack for a few days. And TenTen, don't be late again."

"I wasn't late!"

"Early is on-time, on-time is late," he said vaguely, irking TenTen further. "See you at noon, Team 9." He shunshinned off, leaving Gorba and Team 9 alone.

Gorba waved as he wobbled out the door. "Ta-ta!" After he left, Team 9 stood there for an entire minute, not entirely processing the event. They looked at each other confusedly, all thinking the same thing: _We. Are. Screwed…Majorly. _They glanced at the clock. Eleven-thirty.

"Whelp, better get going!" said Naruto, scrambling out the door.

"Hey, wait!" ordered TenTen, chasing him. Neji shook his head, and closed the door behind him as he, too, exited.

* * *

Neji slid open the door to his house, and closed it softly not to wake his mother. "It's alright, Neji-kun," came his mother's voice faintly, "I'm not asleep." Neji smiled softly and kneeled beside her. He took her hand.

"Do you need anything, Kaa-san?" he asked. Kinami smiled and squeezed his hand weakly.

"No, not now, and there's no need for you to worry. There's always someone here for me."

"I always worry, especially now that you're sick. Has the doctor said anything?"

Kinami hesitated for a fraction of a second, but caught herself. "No, he said I just need good rest. A very long, deep rest."

"Then you should get it, Kaa-san," said Neji, not noticing her pause, "I'm going on a mission that should last around a week. That should give you plenty of possibilities to get some sleep." He kissed her on the forehead. "I need to pack a few things before I go." He padded into his room, Kinami's eyes following him in despair.

She lay there plagued by indecision. '_Should I tell him? Why shouldn't I? Like Hiashi-sama said, I should spare him the pain now, not later.'_ A thought countered it. '_But what about his mission? If I tell him, he'll want to stay and that will…'_ She gazed at the darkness that was the ceiling. For the past week, her sensitivity to light had heightened, and the house was kept dark. The squeak of the floor alerted her to Neji, and she moved her head to look at him.

Neji kneeled beside her again. "I'm going, Kaa-san. Are you sure you don't need anything?" She smiled, not trusting her voice to not break. He dipped his head. "I'll be going then." He rose and opened the door.

Before he left, however, his mother called out, "Neji-kun, wait."

He turned. "Yes, Kaa-san?"

She sat up slightly, taking all of the little strength she had. "I want to tell you something." He closed the door and waited expectantly. "I…I…I," she quieted, the desire to tell him shriveling up. "I just wanted to say I love you."

Neji smiled kindly. "I love you too, Kaa-san." He slid the door open and stepped out, closing it behind him. As the light from outside disappeared, guilt flooded Kinami. '_I really am a terrible mother.'_

* * *

TenTen rushed inside her parent's shop. "Hi, Tou-san!"

"Hey, whatcha doing here so early?" shouted Misuro, nearly stabbing a customer as he pointed a ninjato at her.

"Got a mission, need to pack," she replied quickly, taking the stairs to the apartment three steps at a time. She flew past Yuki, who was searching for something in the kitchen. "Hi, Kaa-san!" TenTen ducked into her room and hastily threw her pack onto her bed. "Let's see, shirt, shorts, underwear…"

"TenTen-chan?" said Yuki, poking her head inside TenTen's room.

"Yeah, Kaa-san?" replied TenTen without turning her head.

"Misuro said something about a mission. Maybe you could tell me more?" TenTen threw in several more items before answering.

"Well, we got a mission today, and I'll be away for three or four days or maybe even a week. Who knows?" She searched under her bed and pulled out a kunai and a shuriken. "Huh, that's interesting, didn't know these were under there."

"A mission?" repeated Yuki concernedly. TenTen turned to smile.

"It's okay, Kaa-san. We talked about it as a team," she reassured, quickly reading a few scrolls before stuffing them into her pack.

"But the last one…" Yuki trailed off, and TenTen's expression softened.

"I'll be alright. I've got my team." TenTen turned back to her pack and mentally checked off everything she had. Yuki still looked uncomfortable when TenTen finally shouldered the pack. She noticed. "I'll be fine, Kaa-san. You should stop worrying so much." Her mother nodded, and fiddled with the straps on her daughter's pack.

"I always worry. All parents worry. A bad one wouldn't." She bent down and kissed TenTen's forehead. "Good luck." TenTen grinned as she raced out the door and down the stairs. Yuki smiled softly as she closed the door. The last thing she saw was the small wooden bird, every detail etched onto it roughly. Yuki bent her head in a prayer for her daughter's safety. '_Please, let her be protected from all harm.'_

* * *

At about ten minutes to noon, Naruto arrived at the village gate, all of his larger supplies sealed into scrolls. No one else was there but the two Chunin on perpetual guard duty, so he stood just to the right of the gate, near the guardhouse. '_They should be here in minute or two, Guy any second.'_

"Hey, kid, who ya waiting for?" asked one of the Chunin, brown hair covering his right eye.

"My sensei. Me and my team have a mission, and we're supposed the meet here at noon."

"Oh. That's nice. What's your name, kid?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

The other Chunin, who had a bandage going across his face and just covering the bridge of his nose, leaned forward to get a good look at the blonde. "Uzumaki?" he repeated, "Hey, I know that! You were the kid that painted the Academy pink!" The man grinned lopsidedly. "Man, the look on Iruka's face was priceless!" He laughed, falling back into his chair.

"Kotetsu!" admonished the other, "That was a fiasco! We had to wash the entire Academy off!"

"It was still funnier than hell, Izumo."

Izumo snorted disbelievingly. "It wasn't worth it. And we made it worse because we laughed at him!"

"You just need to learn how to relax, my friend," said Kotetsu, leaning his chair back.

"I am relaxed!"

"Then you obviously need something for that." Naruto smiled amusedly as he listened. This was probably how he and TenTen sounded most of the time. The two men were still squabbling when Guy arrived. In the presence of a higher rank, the two Chunin shut up and straightened.

"Yes, ah, nothing to report, Guy-san, sir!" stated Izumo, saluting rigidly. Kotetsu saluted sloppily, which earned him other scolding from Izumo. Guy shook his head and acknowledged Naruto with a nod.

"Seen any of the others?" asked Guy. The blonde shook his head, and the Jonin nodded. "Probably be here in a minute or two." Shortly after, Neji walked by the guardhouse and eyed the two still-squabbling Chunins. He glanced at Naruto, who shrugged. TenTen arrived a minute after Neji, giggling at the two, Izumo choking Kotetsu now.

"Where's the client?" asked Naruto, checking the sun's position. Guy shook his head, not knowing either. It had to be close to noon by now. "Well, he better get here fast. I hate waiting."

"I hate it too," mumbled TenTen, kicking a rock. Neji shrugged; he could deal with it. The sun overhead slowly made its passage westward, and Team 9 waited impatiently after an hour. TenTen was beside herself. "Gah! That bastard is late! Way beyond late! He'll probably late to his own funeral!"

Guy smiled inwardly. There was only one person who could be THAT late. TenTen stamped a foot angrily and turned to Naruto, who was sitting against the wall studying his fuinjutsu. "What do you think of this, Naruto?"

The blonde raised his eyes. "I think it's plain ridiculous, but unfortunately you can't change the fact that the guy's late. I want to choke him too, but you can't kill the client, no matter how deserving of it they are." He returned his attention to the book in his lap, leaving TenTen even more annoyed.

Finally, around two hours later, Gorba waddled up to them. "_Hi!_ I ran few quick errands and-_oops_-time got away from me! I'm _so _sorry." The entire team sweatdropped. That was his excuse? Even Guy had heard better ones from Kakashi. "Are we ready to go?" asked Gorba. The team nodded, lamenting their luck on the inside.

They arranged themselves, Naruto and Guy at the forefront, Gorba in the center, and Neji and TenTen in the back. Guy turned back, and, seeing that they were ready, asked the merchant, "How fast can you go, Gorba-san?"

The man puffed up his chest, accentuating his flabbiness. "I can keep up with the fittest of men in my land! Nothing can stand in my way!" Guy had to suppress a laugh. The Land of Merchants was notorious for its unfit men and ninja; to brag that you were the fittest of them was not brag at all.

"It's okay," he said, keeping a grin off his face, "We'll go at a nice, steady pace." He glanced at his Genin, conveying that they would have go incredibly slow to match Gorba. Naruto rolled his eyes. '_Great. If this guy was actually in decent condition, we'd been there in two days and back in one.'_ They set out at a leisurely pace, at least for the ninja; Gorba was hustling as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

Two hours later, and the group had barely covered ten miles. Gorba was huffing and puffing, his face red. Naruto was becoming very irritated by now. '_I swear, my clones could pick him up and run faster than him.'_ The thought gave him pause, and he looked over to Gorba. '_Hmm, wonder how much he weighs. Two-fifty?'_

"Gorba-san," said Naruto, halting along with the rest of the group, "Are you tired?" The man hunched over as they stopped and nodded, panting too much to answer. "I could make something that could carry you the rest of the way," he suggested. Gorba looked at him, eyebrows raised, and slowly straightened.

"That," he said, "would be _so _preferable." Naruto smiled and created five clones. Gorba eyed them warily, but exhaled in relief when one transformed into a palanquin. "Ah! I have plenty of these back in the Land of Merchants! It's just like being at home." He stepped into the palanquin, and a human-like groan was heard. "Oh, was that the wood?"

"Yessir, but it'll hold," said Naruto, glaring at it. Gorba settled into the seat, and the four clones picked it up, faces showing strain. "C'mon, guys," admonished Naruto, "you're stronger than that." All the clones scowled at him, wanting him to take the damn thing for a minute. The original smiled jokingly, and turned to face his team. "I believe we're ready to go?" They all grinned except for Neji, who nodded appreciatively. "Then let's go!"

"Whee!" squealed Gorba as the group took off at a steady jog much faster than their previous walk. After three hours, the clones holding the palanquin were ready to give out, and Naruto quickly ordered them to stop. The clones slowly lowered their load, and then collapsed. "Aw, is the ride over?" asked Gorba blonde shook his head and made four more clones as he dispelled the others. With a sigh, they took up the palanquin, and the group restarted their journey.

Neji quietly scanned the immediate area with his Byakugan. The only things he had seen were animals, mostly deer or rabbits, and the boredom was creating a monotone buzz in his head. '_I never thought I would wish for an attack. Something to liven things up.'_ Guy was at the front, growing more and more anxious.

'_Something's going to happen. I can feel it,'_ thought Guy, tensing. A rustle caused him to hastily withdraw a kunai and throw it at the source. A small fawn burst from the bush, and froze at the sight of them. Guy relaxed. '_Just a deer.'_ The fawn quivered for a second, and then took off back into the bush. "You okay, sensei?" asked Naruto, noticing his reaction

"Yeah, just my imagination," replied Guy.

"Either that or you hate deer."

Neji rolled his eyes at the terrible joke, but then noticed something streaking in from his Byakugan's periphery.

"Arrows! Everyone, move!" he shouted, jumping to the right, as did the rest. The palanquin was left stranded, but the clones took quick defense. They jumped atop of it and quickly flew through a set of handsigns.

"**Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!**" A gust of wind erupted from around them, pushing all the arrows off-course and into surrounding trees. A battle cry broke through the roar of the wind, and eleven bandits rushed from the forest, armed to the teeth.

"Let's get'em!" shouted one, leading the charge.

"You deal with the bandits!" shouted Guy, "I'll take care of the archers!" He raced past the bandits, some of which turned.

"Hey, come back bastard!"

"Not until you deal with us," said Naruto, taking position in front of the palanquin along with the clones, Neji, and TenTen. The outlaws grinned at them.

"Gladly!" The first one reached TenTen, who unsealed her hammer and slammed it into his side, sending him tumbling into another. Neji struck a few points on another and spun to kick another. Naruto and his clones each took one, beating their opponent down with several devastating punches. In the space of a minute, all of the bandits were knocked unconscious or had their muscles locked up due to Neji.

Naruto dusted his hands. "There. That was easy."

"Sure was," agreed TenTen, sealing her hammer.

"All the archers are gone," announced Guy, jumping from a tree and in front of them. He looked around, seeing the out-cold bandits. "Geez, you really handed it to them."

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, it was nothing."

"Nothing, Naruto?" asked TenTen, clapping Naruto's back, "We rocked!"

"Sure are modest, aren't you?" said Naruto sarcastically.

"Hey!" piped up Gorba, "C-could someone help me?" They turned and saw that an arrow had pinned the man's right sleeve to the seat. "Please?" Naruto frowned and jerked the arrow from the wood. The transformation faded, and the clone fell on top of Gorba, making him scream before it dispelled.

Naruto sighed in annoyance. "Are you alright, Gorba-san?" he asked, masking his irritation.

"Yes, just scared, that's all," answered the other, clutching his chest, "Oh, nearly had a heart attack."

"Mm-hm," grunted Naruto absently, making five clones, the fifth transforming back into the palanquin. "Here you go, Gorba-san." The man shrieked delightedly and clapped his hands together.

"Yay! This is so _fabulous!_" The team shook their heads as Gorba climbed in and the clones picked him up. "Another ride!" They jogged until nightfall, when the clones almost dropped the palanquin because they dispelled before they had let him down. The man tumbled out of it, legs wobbly. "Oh, that was disconcerting." He stumbled a few more steps before falling against a tree. He was out in seconds.

"Hope he knows that he'll have to wake up again," said Naruto, setting his pack on the ground and unzipping it. He pulled out a rope and tied one end to the pack, strung it over a branch, and pulled until the pack was hanging six feet in the air. He tied his end to the trunk. "There."

"What's that for?" asked TenTen.

"So animals can't get my stuff." Naruto reached up and opened one of the pockets. He pulled out a scroll and unsealed his tent and sleeping bag. He looked to Neji and TenTen. "Why are you just standing there? I hope you aren't going to ask to sleep with me." Neji glared at him, and TenTen snorted. Both began setting their own tents, Guy having started at the same time Naruto had.

After their three tents were set up, Naruto poked Gorba. "Hey, Gorba-san, time to get up."

"Five more minutes, mommy," he mumbled, sticking a thumb in his mouth. Naruto poked him again, and the merchant snorted and opened his eyes blearily. "Eh? What?"

"Did you bring a tent?" he asked.

Gorba shook his head. "I was hoping to share a tent." Naruto furrowed his brow, but then looked at his team frantically. They looked the other way, pretending to ignore him. "Could you share yours, perhaps?" Naruto swallowed dryly.

"Uh, sure," he replied, cursing his luck for the umpteenth time.

"Yay!" The man pulled from his own pack a sleeping bag and crawled into Naruto's tent. "Wake me in the morning!" Naruto watched the man's large behind take up most of the space in the tent, and glowered at the others.

"Thanks for abandoning me there, guys."

"Whatcha talking about, Naruto?" asked TenTen innocently, taking a pile of kindling gathered by Guy and striking a flint and steel above it, sparks showering the dry wood.

"You full well what I'm talking about, TenTen! And you too, teme!"

"I have no part in this conversation."

"You know full damn well you do! Why couldn't the guy share your tent!?" The sparks finally caught on the kindling, and fire slowly spread across the pile. Naruto's vein in his temple pounded, and he kicked the flaming pile over. "Ha! How do you like that?"

"You mother-," swore TenTen, grabbing the blonde.

"TenTen! Your tent!" yelled Neji, causing her to turn. Her tent was in flames, the flames from the kindling having reached it. She screamed and rushed to try to put it out, but it was no use; all that was left of it was ashes.

"My tent!" she howled. She turned on Naruto. "BAKA!"

"Eek!" TenTen chased him through the forest around the campsite, cursing him and throwing various weapons at him.

"C'mere! I will flay you alive!"

"Well, when you put it that way, I'd rather not!"

Neji pressed the sides of his temples. '_Sometimes, these two are really annoying together.'_ Naruto burst into the clearing and looked desperately to Neji. "Help me, teme!"

"That must have taken quite a bit of courage," he stated sardonically, "but you are entirely out of luck."

"NARUTO!"

"Ah!"

"What the heck is going on?" demanded Guy, returning with a pile of kindle. He surveyed the scene: Neji was standing off the side as TenTen had Naruto in a stranglehold, both of them looking guilty. Ashes from something were in the same place TenTen's tent had been, and Guy's eyebrows rose. "Anyone?"

"Uh," said Naruto, glancing at TenTen, "She started it."

"Did not! You burned down my tent!"

"You deserved it."

"No one deserves that!" She squeezed, choking the blonde.

"Ack! Uncle!"

"Stop!" commanded Guy. TenTen let go of him, but stared daggers at him. "So what happened?"

"Maybe I can give an accurate summary of the events," suggested Neji, "Uzumaki-san was whining-,"

"I wasn't whining!"

"-about his predicament with Gorba-san-,"

"How come that guy gets more respect than me?"

"-and was angered when TenTen seemed to ignore him."

"There's no '_seemed'_ about it, teme."

"He retaliated by kicking over the fire TenTen had started-,"

"Which she deserved!"

"-and the flames caught and burned down TenTen's tent. Then they began to fight," finished Neji despite the numerous interruptions. Guy tapped his chin as he considered the situation.

"Well," he surmised, "It looks like you royally screwed TenTen, Naruto, pardon my language." He kicked at the remains of TenTen's tent. "Now she's going to have to share a tent with either me or Neji." She scooted toward Neji. Guy turned to her. "So you are going to share with?"

"Uh, well," she stuttered, blushing bright red. '_Why does the world hate me?'_ "Well, no offense, sensei, but I'd like to share a tent with-," She glanced at Neji, whose face was also red but still composed, "Neji," she ended weakly. Naruto laughed loudly and fell backward. Guy raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"Alright, still got your sleeping bag?" She nodded. "Then let's go to bed."

"Oh, those two might take a different meaning of it!" teased Naruto, narrowly avoiding TenTen's hammer.

"Hey, at least I don't have to sleep with Gorba! I'm sleeping with Neji!" countered TenTen.

"OH, YOU ADMITTED IT!"

"SHUT UP BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

"Team 9," said Guy sternly, "Shut up."

**Well, how'd you like that? Some comedy, a little action, a little emotion, mostly my feeble attempts at comedy. Not bad. Oh, even though it's probably not out by now, I'm starting a Pokemon fanfic. Just saying. Anyway, reviews are welcome. Toodles.**


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